Headlines
- Two-Day Donor Conference on Results of Reconstruction of RS Started in Banja Luka
- NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana Met With Members of BiH Presidency
- Government of Serbia Discussed Measures for Normalisation of Dinar Exchange Rate
- Celebration on Occasion of 50th Anniversary of Human Rights Declaration
A Donors Conference, organised by the RS Government, is being held in Banja Luka today and tomorrow. RS PM, Milorad Dodik emphasised that the Conference was organised with the aim of harmonising plans which need to be realised in the RS in the coming period and in order to encourage the donors to continue their activities. As the RS accepted a significant obligation to pay a part of the former SFRY debt, PM Dodik expressed the hope that so-called “soft credits” from the donors union will enable the RS to feel as little as possible of this debt burden during the critical years of development. The first day of the conference centred on the discussion on macro-economic, property-transitional and fiscal policy of the RS Government.
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RS PM, Dodik met with Ambassador of EU in BiH, Hansjorg Kretschmer, in Banja Luka today. They discussed political dimensions of DA implementation as well as the assistance provided by the EU to the RS for economic recovery.
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Session of the BiH House of Representatives was held today in Sarajevo and due to different standpoints the members did not formulate or agree on a joint platform for the Madrid Conference. Only general conclusions were passed, that working bodies of the House of Representatives should be constituted within a month, that the CoM should submit a report on developments from the Bonn Conference to date and that an operational plan of activities should be made after the Madrid Conference. Deputy HR, Hanns Schumacher, addressed the members on the issue of Madrid, saying that the existing Declaration is a working version and that discussion can influence the Declaration. Schumacher emphasised that it is a pity that the Madrid Conference is being held three months after the elections and that the CoM has not been elected yet. The members adopted the Proposal of the Law on Changes of the Law on Passports and Co-Chairman of the BiH CoM, Boro Bosic explained that the 31st December deadline for issuing of new passports will be extended until June 30th, 1999. At today’s session, the BiH Presidency members completed their work on the text of the Madrid Declaration, prepared by the OHR. They discussed the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with the FRY and appointed a liaison officer to the Hague Tribunal. Members of the BiH Presidency met with NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana, NATO Commander in Europe, Wesley Clark and SFOR Commander in BiH, Montgomery Meigs. The discussion centred on the forthcoming Madrid Conference.
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At a meeting with local authorities in Srebrenica yesterday, RS President Nikola Poplasen emphasised the necessity of implementing local election results.
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RS Vice President, Mirko Sarovic today met with representatives of the State Commission for Exchange of POWs and MPs. The discussion centred on exhumation of Serb civilians from graves in Sarajevo.
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Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic stated to the Belgrade weekly “Nin” that the HR, Carlos Westendorp had approved the recent arrest of General Radislav Krstic. Radisic emphasised that the RS does not deny the authority of the Hague Tribunal, but that the secret indictments objectively produce fear and that it seems as if there is no Serb who could not be indicted. He mentioned that the RS requested the indictments to be published but that no response was provided. The Chairman said that this could jeopardise the positive results realised during the last two years.
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Head of the RS Army General Staff HQ, Lieutenant General Momir Talic, once more addressed a strong protest to the SFOR Command, requesting release of General Krstic who was arrested without grounds.
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