Sintra – session of the Council for Implementation of the DPA – The Steering Board members discussed the civilian aspects of the DPA, and appointed HR Bildt’s successor, Spanish diplomat Carlos Westendorp. The session also announced the beginning of the so-called international community’s more efficient implementation method for solving the current problems. The US State Dept. Spokesman Burns said that the US will not tolerate the fact that Belgrade and Zagreb are not fulfilling their obligations towards the Hague Tribunal. Albright said that everybody wants to help BiH, but only if its authorities show full co-operation. NATO will deal with the issue of war crimes much more seriously in the forthcoming period, and today it warned the parties to hand over all persons accused of war crimes. The new UK Foreign Minister Cook supported the US position, saying that the world wants to see BiH as a democratic and unified country. Therefore, a strict conclusion was prepared, with defined methods of punishing those who do not comply, and rewarding those who do comply with the DPA. Agencies report on Izetbegovic’s speech, in which he said that there will not be a unified BiH without full implementation of the DPA. BH Press reported on Bildt’s statement which touched on several issues. He said that a new declaration, which will come as a result of the session, will be totally different than any other written so far. He was also in favour of the NATO staying in BiH after July 1998 because ‘there is not enough time to achieve a permanent peace.’ He also said that there must be determination to bring the war criminals before a court of law. Co-chair Silajdzic gave his support to the NATO troops in BiH, saying that they are the factor of stability in BiH.
7:00
Hague raised charges against 16 Serbs who were the guards in the concentration camp in Omarska during the war in BiH. The Tribunal charged them for mass murders and tortures of people who were captured and imprisoned in the camp.
2:00
Sanski Most – BiH team of experts completed the exhumation of the third mass grave out of 15 in the region of Sanski Most and found 40 bodies altogether.
2:00
Sarajevo – BiH Federation Ministry of Refugees completed a document on return of ethnic minorities [Serbs in particular] to the Federation. This is a first stage of implementation of the programme for return of refugees as agreed in Geneva on April 23. The Ministry expects 55,217 Serbs to return during the first phase of return. The Ministry used this opportunity to invite all Serbs to return to their previous homes.
3:00
Sintra – Prior to the Steering Board session in Sintra, Albright met members of the BiH Presidency to warn them that BiH will not receive $ 100 million from IMF and $ 1 billion from independent donors if they don’t adopt the Budget Law. She also said that this was not a threat of the US, but a normal condition of the IMF. After the meeting, BiH Presidency met US Special Envoy Gelbard and HR Bildt.
2:00
At today’s SFOR press conference, the OHR spokesman, Murphy said that HR Bildt fully supports the CoM decision to open the BiH borders towards Croatia.
Sarajevo – Federation Prime Minister Bicakcic held separate meetings with the US Embassy Charge d’Affairs, Beecroft and WB Chief of Mission, O’Sullivan, and discussed the importance of holding the Parliament session which shall adopt the Law on the Central Bank and the QSP Laws, as well as the need for establishment of a Federal Financing Corporation for specific projects of the Federation which will be carried out in parallel with the process of establishment of the Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
3:00
Croat National Council (HNV) condemned the re-establishment of Herceg Bosna, adding that such a Croat community is a creation of only one party – HDZ – that wants to have all Croats in BiH under their control, which can only cause damages to the multi-ethnicity of BiH.
Summary SRT News
Sintra, Portugal – An RS delegation, headed by RS President Biljana Plavsic and President in the BiH Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik, is currently participating in a meeting of the Supervising Committee of the Council for the Implementation of the peace agreement. The meeting has been convened to analyze progress in the implementation of civilian aspects of the DPA and based on this analysis future measures to enhance the process of implementation will be undertaken. SRNA reported that Spanish Ambassador to the UN Carlos Westendorp was appointed the High Representative of the international community to succeed Carl Bildt, who is ending his term in June.Before the meeting in Sintra, HR Carl Bildt stated that the western allies should keep the international forces beyond June next year. He stressed that the remaining time until June next year was not sufficient for 30.000 SFOR members to complete their task in the RS and FBiH.
3’50”
US political circles are somewhat surprised with US President Bill Clinton’s statement that there is much work left to be done in the RS and FBiH and that the international community cannot give up on BiH so easily. Analysts are trying to get to the bottom of Clinton’s statement and figure out what the US President truly meant. However, Clinton refused to answer directly what the allies were going to do after the expiration of SFOR’s mandate. William Cohen, US Secretary of Defense partially answered that question by confirming that SFOR troops would leave BH in June next year, to be replaced by police forces.
2’00”
ICTY – The media underlined that some Dutch media have taken a more objective view towards political relations in the RS .Commenting on the trial against Bosnian Serb Dusan Tadic, the Dutch press maintained that the Hague Tribunal had built its case on fragile evidence, which as the trial was coming to an end proved to be absurd.
1’50”
Banja Luka – The third international fair of technical innovations held at the Central VRS club was closed today. More than 250 participants displayed 5000 exhibits.
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