Sarajevo – After the three-days visit of BiH CoM to Malaysia, the results seem to be about $150 million bilateral contracts and aid for BiH. The CoM Co-Chairman, Silajdzic said that relationships between two countries are not based any longer on giving and receiving of aid, but on the partnership between two countries. Silajdzic also said that the economic relationships were pointed out during the visit. The CoM Minister for Foreign Trade and Economy, Muratovic said that this visit helped to clear many misunderstandings between BiH and the Serb entity.
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Sarajevo/Washington – As Reuters reports, the SFOR troops around the BiH capital were put at maximum readiness level. Reuters concluded that the US, Great Britain, and France wish to arrest indicted war criminal Karadzic. SFOR HQ representatives in Sarajevo said that SFOR activities are normal and regular.
-US administration refuted the yesterday’s quotations of ABC News about special troops preparations for the arrest of war criminals, however, the anonymous State Department representative confirmed yesterday’s US conversations with their associates, regarding the arrest of war criminals. US Envoy Holbrooke was guest in yesterday’s broadcast “Nightline”, which caused various protests from the State Department. Holbrooke said that he has to believe in credibility of a prominent media such as ABC News.
-According to the US Special Envoy, Gelbard, the US are determined to establish joint Bosniak/Croat intelligence service. Gelbard said that US experts will train intelligence recruits.
-US Secretary of State, Albright refuted Plavsic’s claims regarding the proposition to Karadzic.
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Hague – Regarding the International Court for war criminals establishment in New York, the ICTY judge Kirk McDonald said that the biggest challenge for the court to be, represents the balance between individual national interests of a state and the authorizations of the Court.
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Jajce – As agreed yesterday, the return of the refugees to Jajce should begin at Saturday. UNHCR spokesman, Janovski said that for the reasons of safety, the heads of families would come first.
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Mostar – At today’s meeting between the Mostar Mayor and municipalities presidents, the issue of refugee return was also discussed. The Mostar Mayor called the project of refugee return as one-sided initiative from the Bosniak side. The Mayor said that the return will start in accordance with IC and UNHCR.
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Sarajevo – German Immigration Offices paid the return for 8600 returnees to BiH. The IOM organised the transportation for 175 refugees from the “Third World Countries”.
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Vienna – UNHCR demanded from Austrian authorities to proceed with the aid for BiH refugees in Austria, by the end of 1998. If the Austrian Internal Affairs Minister refuses this option, the Red Cross will negotiate with the Austrian Government. The largest humanitarian organisation in Austria, Caritas also demanded the extent of the aid.
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Konjic – BiH Federation delegation, lead by Federal Prime Minister, Bicakcic visited Konjic today. The municipality President said that Konjic expects aid from IC, but that the IC is not willing to help before the privatization process begins.
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Pale – Instead of the final decision, the Constitutional Court called the interested sides to be present at tomorrow’s session and voting. The RS President, Plavsic’s cabinet considers this call as a break of the law. As Plavsic’s councilor said, this call represents a delay of the procedure, and disabling of Plavsic’s party campaign. Plavsic discussed the issues of current situation in RS and the pre-election with HR deputy Wagner. Wagner said that OHR thinks that the pre-elections are the only solution for the current situation in RS.
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Summary SRT TV News
Pale – Krajisnik held separate meetings with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Eide and Chinese Ambassador to Sarajevo. Chinese Ambassador communicated greetings of the Chinese President and the hope for establishment of good relations between the two countries. They talked about the implementation of the DPA, the current situation in the RS and Dayton BiH, and political and economic relations between the RS and China. Deputy Foreign Minister Bozanic, who also attended the meeting, said that China recognised BiH as a whole but consisting of two equally important entities.Krajisnik, Deputy Minister of Interior Karisik, and Bozanic talked to Eide behind closed doors. The discussion was about the security situation in BiH prior to the local elections. Eide said that reorganisation of special police forces goes beyond his authority, but he expressed hope that this issue will be solved soon.
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President of the Constitutional Court Mijanovic said that the deliberation on Plavsic’s decision to dissolve the Parliament and schedule pre-term elections will continue tomorrow. He called the RS President, the Prime Minister, and the Parliament Speaker to attend the deliberation. However, SRT learns from a source close to the Presidential Cabinet that Plavsic refused to attend the deliberation.
Banja Luka – Plavsic met HR Senior Deputy Wagner and discussed the political situation in the RS. After the meeting Plavsic said that ‘Wagner was interested in the political situation in the RS, elections, that is, the municipality elections, the new party, the implementation of the DPA, media, what’s the best way to organise a real state media which would properly inform RS citizens, and we will make certain progress with this regard,’ Plavsic said. Wagner said that he supports the idea of scheduling Parliamentary elections because it is the only way out from the current crisis. ‘I would like to confirm that OHR cares to solve certain issues which are very important for the RS, such as the Law on Passports and Citizenship that will be discussed at the next CoM session in Sarajevo. It would be good that RS citizens possess passports to travel, which is one of the most important reasons,’ Wagner said. Asked to comment on non-attendance of tomorrow’s CC deliberation, Plavsic said that she will wait for the final decision so she finds no reason to attend it. ‘I can only say that the previous discussion was more about unimportant details instead of the case itself,’ Plavsic said commenting the CC public hearing held on July 12.
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SRT reported that there are more and more speculations with the RS territory. In view of that, it notes the meeting in Split between Tudjman and Izetbegovic, at which Tudjman said that Banja Luka is a territory which gravitates towards Croatia and it will probably go to the Federation in the end, reported the Muslim papers Ljiljan close to SDA. In that sense, Croatian papers National reported that Foreign Minister Prlic said that Banja Luka is a strategic interest of Croat people. SDS and RS SP (Socialist party) gave their comments with regard the above, condemning Prlic’s statement and concluding that they have noticed open aspirations of Croats towards west part of the RS which could have fatal consequences, or even cause another war. They (SDS) warned RS people to reunite in order to protect vital interests of their country. Prlic proved that Croats do not respect the DPA, and some parts of the IC even support them. SPS said that Prlic went beyond his mandate, and proved that he doesn’t respect the RS and its institutions.
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Flash news:
In his interview for VOA (Voice of America), Brcko Supervisor Farrand warned Serbs from Brcko not to boycott the local elections because the Federation political parties will win then.
The US State Secretary Albright denied Plavsic’s statement given for the London Financial Times yesterday that she and Plavsic agreed to offer Karadzic an asylum in order to remove him, saying that Plavsic obviously does not remember well the course of the talks since Albright and the US strictly respect the DPA.
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Bijeljina – Member of the Central Bank for the RS Manojlo Coric talked to representatives of the RS banks and introduced them to further tasks such as acceptance of the convertible mark as the joint currency. He said that the DPA did not specify if the Central Bank will be either centralised or decentralised institution so the RS is ready to accept the option of the decentralised CB.
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Brcko – Minister of Agriculture Arsenovic said that the security situation in Brcko is satisfactory and that the RS Government will invest in reconstruction of border areas of this municipality.
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