Washington – The media reported extensively on US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s speech before the Senate Committee disclosing a new American initiative in BiH. Having confirmed American commitment to the DPA, Albright reportedly announced a new strategy towards BiH, whereby American financial aid would be allotted selectively depending on a degree of cooperation of the BiH sides. In this respect, towns and settlements which agree to return of refugees would be given abundant financial aid, such as Sipovo, she mentioned. BiH TV correspondent from Washington maintained that Albright was explicit in stating that BiH was an American long term interest and that the US presence in BiH would continue beyond the next year. The US diplomatic offices will be opened in Banja Luka and Mostar as well. BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Hasan Muratovic commenting on Albright’s announcement, stated that he was pleased that aid would be stopped only to those not willing to cooperate and not to all BiH sides as advocated by HR Carl Bildt.
4’5”
Sarajevo – Chairman of the BiH Presidency Alija Izetbegovic, a member of the BiH Presidency Kresimir Zubak and BiH Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic, met in separate meetings with Special Envoy of the Croatian President, Dr.Franjo Greguric. The Izetbegovic – Greguric talks dwelt on further realization of the BiH Federation and commitments of the Croatian side in this respect, specifically formation of joint police forces in the Neretva-Herzegovina Canton, economic relations between the two countries and the upcoming meeting Izetbegovic – Tudjman.
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The protocol on joint police forces in Mostar was supposed to be signed in Sarajevo yesterday. Sefkija Dziho, Deputy Interior Minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton confirmed that the Croatian side requested two secret services, the Agency for Research and Documentation (AID and the Office for protection of constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia be closed down at the same time. However, Croatian officials did not show up at the designated meeting to sign the protocol papers.
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Munich – Novislav Djajic, a Bosnian Serb was sentenced by a Bavarian Court in Germany to five years of imprisonment on 11 charges for murder and several attempts to murder.
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The court trial against HVO General Tihomir Blaskic charged with war crimes against Bosniaks in Lasva during 1992-1993 will begin on 23 June in the Hague.
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Sarajevo – UN Spokesman Alex Ivanko told the press that the meeting between HR Carl Bildt and RS President Biljana Plavsic on the regime of police check points and reorganization of the RS police force ended without any agreement. Ivanko explained that relations between IPTF and local Serb police were “compounded at all levels”, but added that international officials had at their disposal numerous means of political and economic pressure should the Serb police continue not to cooperate.
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Brka – FBiH Vice President Ejup Ganic, accompanied with representatives of the Tuzla-Podrinje canton are currently in the meeting with Brcko Supervisor Robert Farrand. The main topics on the agenda are local elections in Brcko and the process of return of refugees.
2’30”
Sarajevo – Hasan Muratovic, BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations reacted to HR Carl Bildt’s warning that an agreement on the law package “Quick Start” has to be reached by 30 May, stated that Mr Bildt had proposed “wrong measures”, since those responsible for non-implementation of the DPA and non-signing of the package should be punished.
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Summary SRT News
Lately, the RS is witnessing the unnecessary pressure of the International Community. We believed we overcome that, specially because the RS is a leading party in the implementation of the DPA provisions. It is known to everyone that Muslims hinder the adoption of the QSP which is essential for holding of the Donor Conference. Also, disputes between Croats and Muslims are evident. And once again, only the Serb side is asked to make precedents and fulfill certain demands that are against the DPA provisions. Such a campaign is designed to destabilize the RS. Some, so called, opposition newspapers from the RS and FRY joined this campaign. Belgrade daily “Gradjanin” (The Citizen) writes about the meeting that supposedly took place between Plavsic and Milosevic. We can confirm now, that this information is false. President’s Cabinet issued a denial today, saying that President Plavsic did not meet Milosevic since she was elected the President of RS.Today is the International Red Cross’s Day. Vice President of RS, Dragoljub Mirjanic, met with the republic (sic) and regional organizations of the Red Cross. He was aquatinted with the humanitarian situation in RS, where without an increased help of the International Humanitarian Organizations, some 42.000 refugees will lack food this year.
3 min
Premier Gojko Klickovic paid an official visit to Srbac, where he met with the business people from that region. Closed market, the lack of production means and inability to use credits from domestic banks and the world finances for the reconstruction and development are the main reasons for the slow revival of the economy in Srbac region.
5 min
Certain countries that were actively involved in solving crisis in former BIH, are still introducing biased approach by allocating financial aid unequally to the entities, by accelerating pressure and conditionalities for the reconstruction loans.
1 min
The Steering Board meeting in Sintra will deal with the issue of strengthening the peace in BIH. USA will present the plan for intensifying the realization of the DPA. Mrs. Albright said that they will do utmost to fully implement the DPA.
1 min
The new HR will not come from the Great Britain, says the Independent. It may well come from the Spain.
30 sec
The finding of an appropriate balanced approach in the establishing of an ethnically mixed administration in Brcko represents a difficulty in the preparations for the local elections in RS and the Federation of BiH stated the OSCE Mission chief to BiH, Robert Frowick during the talks with the NATO leaders in Brussels, stressing that ‘it is unrealistic to expect to have fully democratic elections under the western standards’.