Sarajevo – At the meeting of BiH Presidency and the US diplomats Holbrooke and Gelbard, the agreement was achieved for three out of five items on the agenda. Holbrooke made a statement explaining those three items. The first agreement regards the matter of telecommunications. The second is about the BiH ambassadors allocation, and the third one is about joint military committee. Foreign Affairs Minister Prlic evaluated the ambassadors agreement as very important and accurate. BiH President Izetbegovic will appoint 13 ambassadors including the UN and Vienna, Krajisnik will appoint 11, including Washington, and Zubak 9, including Tokyo with consultations with Izetbegovic. Prlic also said that he met HR Senior Deputy Wagner who told him that he will send a letter to the EC asking for suspension of sanctions against the BiH diplomats. Gelbard said that the agreement on telecommunications is the basis for realisation of reconstruction programme. He also said that the US Envoys are satisfied with the obvious progress that was made. US Ministry of Finances said that disagreement on the BiH currency will cause a delay in realisation of $ 90 million loan to BiH. The second disagreement considered the BiH flag. Holbrooke said that this was caused by unreadiness of one side to discuss it.
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Sarajevo – There was no further progress at the CoM session regarding the Law on Passports and the Law on Citizenship. The deadline expires on Aug. 31. The CoM asked for the OHR arbitrage in those matters. The CoM Co-chairman Silajdzic said that CoM was about to adopt a draft of these two matters in the form suggested by OHR, but the Serb side refused it.
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Banja Luka – After the Presidency session, the US delegation went for B.Luka to a meeting with RS President Plavsic. Holbrooke said that the US supports Plavsic because she is legally elected President of RS who stands for the Legal State and united BiH with two equal entities which is the basis of the DPA. Plavsic said that this is a visit of people who want to help the RS in accordance to the DPA and the RS Constitution. As Plavsic said, this visit should give answers to the RS status, economic prosperity, and how big the interest of the IC is regarding the prosperity of BiH as a whole. RS Government refused the US $ 50 million credit. The Government stated that the claims of the US delegation are not true, and that it is an attempt of deceit of the public, so therefore, the Government is ready to give an insight to all documents regarding this matter. During the meeting, Plavsic signed the Memorandum of Receiving of $ 9 million aid for the RS reconstruction.
4:00
Stolac – Within the phase 2 of return of Bosniak expellees to Stolac, three Bosniak families came back to Stolac safely and without incidents.
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Jajce – The meeting of the Working Group for Jajce was not held today. The Vice-Governor of the Central Bosnia Canton asked from the ICHR to reschedule the meeting and postpone it for 24 hours.
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Sarajevo – At the Press conference held at German Embassy today, it was said that the German Special Envoy for the Programme of Repatriation, Schlee will work on the programme for refugee return and co-ordination of the Reconstruction Programme. Schlee said that he is here in order to create the safety and humanitarian conditions for the refugee return in co-operation with local authorities. He also said that although there are many problems, he is certain that the German team will succeed in support of the BiH reconstruction, but only if the violence of human rights are removed. Schlee also said that he is certain that the people will return to Jajce area again.
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Bihac – At the municipality session, it was decided to proclaim Bihac as an “Open City”. The session was held in the presence of the local authorities, OSCE, UNHCR and the ombudsman office.
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Sarajevo – At the regular session of BiH Ministry of Internal Affairs, among other issues, the matters of Joint Police Establishment, and the situation in Central Bosnia Canton were also discussed. It was said that the Government of Central Bosnia Canton adopted the rule book of Canton MIA organisation. Federal IA Minister Zilic said that the actions will be took in order to sanction the responsible for the recent tragic events in Jajce. Zilic also said that the Federal MIA have no knowledge of police participation in those events.
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Sarajevo – Jasmin Sljivo, a Bosniak boy arrested by the RS police 16 months ago, was released today in exchange for three Serb criminals arrested by the Federal police. Sljivo, although being a minor, was accused in crimes against Serb citizens.
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Sarajevo/Tuzla – The British ambassador Crawford welcomed Princess Diana in Her visit to BiH. The reason for the visit is the Princess’ campaign for land mine clearance. Visiting Tuzla today, Lady D. met with Tuzla citizens, and injured by land mines. Later on, Tuzla Mayor, Beslagic organised a reception in Her Majesty.
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Summary SRT TV News
Banja Luka – Plavsic said that the Constitutional crisis in the country ‘can be overcome only by wise and well-though out moves, through the Constitution and the DPA’. At a joint press conference with the former and current US envoys for the Balkans, Richard Holbrooke and Robert Galbard, President Plavsic said she is convinced that ‘these are the people who really want to help RS. Our people is primarily interested in the status of RS and its economic prosperity, pledged by the international community throughout RS and Federation’, Plavsic said.4:00
Pale – Krajisnik said that he is pleased with the participation of the former and present US envoy for the Balkans, Richard Holbrooke and Robert Galbard, at yesterday and today’s Presidency sessions. Krajisnik stated for Serb TV that these ‘are two high diplomats and authoritative personalities. Their contribution to the results is great, and we are pleased with this,’ Krajisnik stated. During his separate talks with Richard Holbrooke, Krajisnik underlined the RS readiness to accept everything that was presented which is the RS obligation. ‘Quiet introduction of stronger BiH and negation of RS will not be accepted,’ emphasised Krajisnik .
3:00
Pale – CoM Deputy Foreign Minister, Dragan Bozanic believes that all three parties should be content with the division of diplomatic-consular offices. In his statement for SRNA, Bozanic said that RS can be satisfied with the agreement because it got favourable offices – in Washington, Athens, UN Mission in Geneva, Ljubljana, Moscow, Cairo, Cambera, New Delhi, Tel Aviv and Paris. The offices will operate on principle of reciprocity.
3:00
Pale – The RS Government dismissed claims by the former US envoy for the former Yugoslavia, Richard Holbrooke, made in Banja Luka, that out of four World Bank reconstruction projects the RS Government refused two. Government’s announcement says ‘Mr Holbrooke singled out projects related to transportation and education, prepared for the presentation to the World Bank Steering Board’. Assessing these claims as ‘untrue’, the RS government says that it ‘adopted and signed the project called Education 2 on January’, whereas the project of urgent reconstruction in RS was adopted and signed on April, and amended with the World Bank in June.
3:00
Pale – Referring a large number of voters to polling in the BiH Federation, where they lived before the war, represents the denial of the most important civil right, the right to vote, stated RS member of the PEC, Slobodan Kovac. ‘I believe there is still enough time to repair these omissions and that disfranchised citizens will be able to prove that they have right to vote where they want,’ Kovac stated, assessing it as ‘just unbelievable that besides a rigorous control at the registration centres so many irregularities were found out subsequently.’
3:00
Belgrade – The former US envoy for the Balkans, Richard Holbrooke, stated that the implementation of the Dayton agreement was significantly stepped-up in the past three days. ‘At the ceremony of signing of the Dayton agreement, I said that its implementation would be more difficult, so I am not surprised by a delay,’ Holbrooke said in an interview for the Belgrade Radio-B-92, and added that the participants at the Dayton conference concluded that things would move better with the agreement than without it, although all things cannot be achieved immediately.
3:00
Belgrade – The head of the HQ of the Yugoslav Army, lieutenant-general Momcilo Perisic talked to Robert Galbard about the establishment of the Standing Committee for Military Matters between RS and BiH Federation. Richard Holbrooke did not attend the meeting.
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