12.05.1999

OHR SRT News Summary, 12 May 1999

image_pdfimage_print

  • Yeltsin dismissed Primakov
  • May 12, the Day of the RS Army, solemnly celebrated
  • on the 50th war day in the FRY the heaviest NATO attacks on Nis and the area of Pristina
  • mortal remains of the killed Chinese citizens transported from Belgrade to Peking – Mourning Day in China
  • the RS Government established measures for mitigating the losses in industry

Russian President Boris Yeltsin dismissed today Yevgenij Primakov from the Office of the Russian Prime Minister and appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sergey Stepashin the acting Prime Minister. Explaining the decision, the Russian President said that the decision was difficult but necessary underlining that the Government had acted too slowly, unwillingly approached the economic reforms and too hardly obtained western credits. The dismissal of Primakov caused a lot of reactions in Russia and throughout the world. However, the Russian foreign policy, including the Balkans, will not change after the dismissal of the Prime Minister Yevgenij Primakov, Interfaks reports, citing the officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Follows a more detailed report on it.

The members of the RS Army celebrated today the 7th anniversary of the armed forces of Srpska. On that occasion, Prime Minister Milorad Dodik addressed congratulations to the Army members. Solemn ceremonies, including laying the wreaths on tombs of the fallen soldiers, took place in many towns throughout the RS. Follow the reports from Banja Luka, Pale, Bijeljina, Han-Pijesak and Brcko.

NATO has been bombing the FRY for fifty days. Last night the most intensive air strikes were the ones in the area of Kosmet. Bombing of the Pristina area lasted for almost 30 hours without interruptions. In the course of the day, Nis was shelled by cassette bombs. Follow the reports of the SRNA correspondents from Belgrade and Pristina on the consequences of today’s NATO strikes on Yugoslavia.

In the highest diplomatic contacts today, Russia and China again insisted on a political resolution to the Kosovo crisis. Moscow and Peking request an immediate halt of the bombardment of the FRY as the first condition for the solution of the issue. At the same time, NATO officials announce the continuation of the air strikes.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder paid a visit to China today with the aim of trying to persuade China to take over a constructive role in searching for a political resolution to the Kosovo crisis. The NATO Secretary General Javier Solana stated today in Tirana that NATO will continue air strikes against Yugoslavia until the expulsion of the population in Kosovo on the national basis is stopped and the refugee return is enabled. Follows a more detailed report on the diplomatic activities regarding the Kosovo issue.

A hearing with regard to the FRY request for making some temporary protection measures because of the aggression of the NATO countries against the FRY is taking place before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Follows a more detailed report on the two-day hearing.

Follows a short report on today’s NATO briefing: The NATO spokesman Jamie Shea announced today that, the day after day, the NATO strikes will be more and more intensive. Shea underlined that the police and the paramilitary formations will be the targets soon. General Walter Jertz stated today that NATO did not notice the withdrawal of the Yugoslav forces from Kosovo and assessed yesterday’s air strikes as the most successful so far. Shea stated that he is encouraged by China giving up the insisting on the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution, which would condemn the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

The European Union and the World Bank reached today an agreement on coordinating the assistance to the Balkan region, affected by the Kosovo crisis. The agreement foresees opening of a joint bureau in Brussels which would have a close cooperation with the IMF.

With the aim of overcoming the existing economic difficulties in the RS industry, the RS Government established at its last session a series of concrete economic, financial and legal measures. Follows a more detailed report on it.

The Secretary General of the Interpol issued an arrest warrant for the former Moslem leader Fikret Abdic on May 10, 1999 for the violations of the law and customs of the war and the crime against humanity, the Interior Ministry of the BiH Federation stated today, Beta carries.

FBiH related news.

Follows a more detailed report on the Serb returnees to Croatia.

World news.