Sarajevo – Quoting France Press and Time magazine, BiH Press carries a statement by Robin Cook, British Foreign Minister saying that he will warn BiH leaders about the existence of possible corruption in the country after millions of dollars of international aid have disappeared. Million dollars meant for reconstruction of the country, have disappeared and been transferred to the private bank accounts or accounts of private firms, Cook said, and added that BiH leaders will run the risk of cancelling further assistance if these activities go ahead. No BiH official commented on this accusation today. For more details we have to wait arrival of Robin Cook to our country due tomorrow. (The news was broadcast at each news slot throughout the day)
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Mostar – John Shuttack, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democratisation and Human Rights, visited Mostar today, where he held talks with Bosniak representatives about the revival of the BiH Federation, and conditions for receiving the international assistance. He expressed his disappointment that the Croatian representatives did not attend the meeting. Commenting on the situation in Mostar he said that the IC expects that a return of refugees will start to be carried out in might by all authority representatives. Any authority who tries to obstruct this process, will not receive our help. Commenting on his meeting with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, who promised co-operation regarding the extradition of war crime indicted persons, he mentioned that the WB has stopped a loan worth 40 million US dollars for Croatia until clear successes with peace implementation has been achieved there.
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Zagreb – Deutsche Welle informs that Gojko Susak, Croatian Defence Minister has left for US where he will meet with William Cohen, US Defence Minister and Robert Gelbard, Special US Envoy for implementation of DPA. The visit comes after Croatia was criticised for its attitude towards the Hague Tribunal. Croatian Agency HINA informs that Susak went to US for a routine health check and by the way he will meet the US officials.
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Jajce – A group of 35 returnees came back to their village Kruscice, near Jajce without the need of difficult political and administrative preparatory procedures. The return followed the Christian Schwarz Schilling agreement between the representatives of the Croat and the Bosniaks on an unconditional refugee return. (Follows two positive comments on the return. Returnees are showed relating their positive impressions as well as their appeal to all humanitarian organisations to help them with building material. Ejup Ganic was shown calling on the Croats to unconditionally return to their homes). The IC shows more and more interest for the refugee return, commented a presenter.
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Follow reports on the celebration of fourth anniversaries of the battle for Golo Brdo, near Sarajevo where Emir Bogunic – Charly fell together with his closest friends among which two sisters. The anniversary of the slaughter of 45 Bosniaks in the village Vrbanja, near Bugojno, by the HVO extremists was also reported. Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency President visited Emir’s grave and held a short moving speech.
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BiH SDP party held a rally of anti-fascists of the years 1941 and 1992 devoted to the remembrance of the fallen citizens in the two last wars. On the occasion Zlatko Lagumdzija’s book After war, a war was promoted, sport competitions were held, speeches of soldiers from the last and previous wars were held as well as discussion on the theme Anti-fascism in previous times and nowadays.
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Summary SRT TV News
Flash News:German newspaper Noveau reports that The Hague Tribunal is discriminating the Serbs and treating in a racist manner, therefore it is time for the Tribunal itself to be put on trial. If one was to talk openly to British soldiers who had fought in Falklands and US soldiers who had been in Vietnam or Kuwait, one would learn that they had done the same things for which Tadic was found guilty at The Hague (and he was not found guilty for rape and war crimes), if not worse.
Greek media comment that the IC was backing Milosevic in becoming the FRY President, because he is their main interlocutor and the guarantee to the DPA implementation. IC was the one that caused the crisis in the RS in order to speed up the bringing of alleged war criminals to The Hague.
British Foreign Minister Cook shall talk to the BiH Presidency members about the disappearance of millions of US Dollars that were given as aid to BiH. The Federation is the one to be blamed for this because the RS received only 2% of that aid. Cook shall talk to Plavsic after the meeting with the Presidency.
5:00
Correspondents on the ground report that the tension between SFOR and people of RS have calmed down considerably. A part of the IC wanted to make the crisis worse so that it would be easier for them to act (pictures of Ivanko were shown during this item). Things have calmed down thanks to the RS leadership, and SRT joins them with the message that it is never too late for hostilities, but it is also never too late for the IC to accept an equal approach to everyone. The citizens have been asked to behave, and the IC to respect such a behaviour so that the RS can enter a new stage of establishment of democracy.
3:00
Donors Conference – “The conference hinted at a more equitable treatment of RS.” This piece continues with the survey throughout the RS in relation to the Conference. Most of the citizens were pessimistic about the fair distribution of aid, while only some of them hoped that the RS will receive the aid as it deserves because it fully complied with the DPA. “It’s all a trick”, a man from Pale said. “We must rely on our own economy. The IC keeps on imposing new preconditions for us so that they wouldn’t give us a penny. It’s all been organised for Islam and Catholicism. That is the New World Order of US and Europe.”
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Registration of citizens for free allocation of shares within the privatisation process – 218 registration centres will be open until July 31, and only 20,000 people registered so far due to lack of information. 85% of shares are handed free of charge, while the rest is subject to payment. The socially vulnerable categories, such as invalids, families of killed soldiers, pensioners, soldiers etc., have the right to free distribution of shares. The July 31 deadline will probably be extended because there are a lot of people lining in front of the centres in the last week before the closing down of registration centres.
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