BiH Presidency President, Alija Izetbegovic is due to receive an annual award by the American Centre for Democracy today.
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In the course of discussions with US Secretary of State, Madleine Albright and US Secretary of Defense Cohen, Izetbegovic warned of the possibility of the outbreak of a new war. The eruption of a new conflict will be possible to avoid if emergency measures are taken to accelerate the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Dayton Accord. If this does not happen, the military aspect of the agreement, which has been successful thus far, will also collapse and we shall have war again, stated Izetbegovic. Izetbegovic foresees the same scenario if NATO troops withdraw from BiH and the three basic preconditions are not fulfilled: full implementation of the civilian aspect of the peace agreement, the Train and Equip programe and the Vienna Agreement on Armament control.
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Co-Chair of the CoM, Haris Silajdzic held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Mubarak pledged to use his influence with the international community to achieve strict implementation of the Dayton Accord.
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NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and NATO Commander for Europe George Joulwan confirmed in Sarajevo that there would be no premature pull-out of NATO troops from Bosnia. Solana specified the three crucial objectives of the SFOR mission before the end of its mandate return of refugees to be done differently from the current practice, reformation of police forces and armament control Joulwan has stressed that SFOR has a limited mandate expiring in June 1998.
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As earlier announced, the first group of BiH refugees has been expelled from Munich. While BiH officials protest against such practice, information from Germany tells that the procedure for compulsory return will soon become final and not experimental. BiH Federation Minister for Refugees, Rasim Kadic, made a statement to the effect that the German hard stance in the manner of deportation is rather surprising and that he expected a more tolerant approach in the future.
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At a press conference, the Federal Minister for Social Policy, DPS and Refugees paid special attention to the issue of return of refugees to Brcko, adding that the OHR and the Serb authorities had been hindering the return of refugees to that city. He said that Bildt’s office had decided self willingly to let only 20 families return to Brcko every week and appealed to the international community to prevent such behaviour.
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Spokesman for Bildt’s Office, Colum Murphy spoke about disputable issue in the process of the formation of the Central Bank and a single currency. He added that official from Bildt’s office held talks with RS authorities and that there were some indications that Biljana Plavsic was willing to accept the idea of the joint Central Bank and a single currency. Except for the endorsement of two drafts, continued the Spokesman, the CoM work has been blocked for unknown reasons.
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The British Minister for Overseas Development, baroness Linda Chalker held talks in Sarajevo with a large number of domestic politicians on the functioning of central institutions and on the reconstruction and development.
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Following the three day visit to the Neretva canton, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Elisabeth Rhen, pointed out the problem of joint police forces in Mostar.
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Summary SRT News
President of the RS Government Gojko Klickovic held talks in Belgrade with Serbian PM Mirko Marijanovic related to operational aspect of the Agreement on special parallel relations between the RS and FRY.0’30”
The war has left a deep scar in people and bitter disappointment in living together, assessed participants in a Dutch radio program. Serbs do not wish to live in the same state with Muslims and Croats in the territory of the former BiH since they have bitter experience from the bloody civil war. This is something that the Dutchmen who were interested in the possibility of building up a unitary BiH, could assure themselves of. Despite the intention of journalists to promote a multi-ethnic Bosnia and living together, participants in the program clearly indicated that there was no way back. You cannot understand that we are happy because we live separated from Muslims, reads the message by the Serb expelled from the Federation and addressed to the international emissaries advocating a multi-ethnic life.1’00” NATO officials believe that there will be no renewal of conflict after the expiry of the SFOR mission. NATO Secretary General Javier Solana stated at a press conference in Sarajevo that until the end pf its mandate, SFOR will lay emphasis on the return of refugees, reform of police forces and control of armament.
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It is very likely that Serb Sretko Damjanovic charged with the murder of 2 Muslims and sentenced to the death penalty will be subject to a new court trial, because the two victims have been found live. Some media in Sarajevo have blown up this case, which has brought into question other court marshal trials conducted in the heated nationalist atmosphere. With this case, the judiciary in Sarajevo got a slap in the face, claim correspondents who monitor court chronicles.
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8 000 Croats have been moved to Knin in an organized manner, claims the media in Sarajevo. Out of 10 000 people currently living in Knin, 80 per cent are Bosnian Croats, who have taken best houses and best positions.
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Representatives of the ministry of Finance and the World Bank delegation met today. The WB delegation showed interest for the RS financial system. The RS proposed a number of projects. Some priority programs have been included in the program of this international financial organization.
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RS Minister for Refugees and DPs, Ljubisa Vladusic, held talks with a Swedish delegation on the problem of return of refugees. He reminded his collocutors that the RS has 464 000 refugees and DPs, of which 96 per cent expressed the wish to live in the RS territory. He added that the Government would accept return of refugees in numbers that would not be detrimental to its citizens.
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Conditions for inclusion into the European integration process are being in the RS, and the functioning of the state in regard to human rights is at a high level. This was confirmed at today’s meeting of RS Minister of Justice Branko Petric and representatives of the Committee for Legal Affairs of the Parliamentary Council of Europe.
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The RS ministry of Interior denied the allegations by some media that RS Interior Ministry is despatching its members and provides documentation for departure of RS citizens to Zaire.