18.12.1997

OHR SRT News Summary, 18 Dec. 1997

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Headlines

  • The President of RS, Biljana Plavsic, receives Kai Eide in his farewell visit
  • Ambassador from BiH in France must represent all three nations, Krajisnik tells the French Ambassador, Yves Gaudeul, in Pale today
  • Party representatives meet today in Doboj and discuss the constituting of the new National Assembly
  • In Serbia: pre-election silence starting at midnight
  • Officially announced general strike of teachers
0:20

American troops will not leave Bosnia after June 1998, as planned. This was definitely confirmed by American President, Bill Clinton, in his decision today to prolong American presence in the peace operations in former Yugoslavia. The predictions of certain political and military analysts are coming true; they were certain that the future of this part of the Balkans would be under the control of the foreign military for a long time.
0:40

The mutual co-operation of Japan and RS, with a special review of the realisation of the programme of post-war reconstruction of RS, were the main topics of discussion between RS President, Biljana Plavsic, and the Ambassador from Japan, Jushu Takashima. “We have discussed concrete means of help and very acceptable financial assistance as well. I hope that after this conversation we will have many more meetings, maybe with economists from Japan”, said Ms. Plavsic. After the meeting, the Japanese diplomat expressed his wish to assist RS with the same approach to the BiH Federation. The condition for that is compliance with the Dayton Agreement.
1:00

RS President, Biljana Plavsic, also met with the Ukrainian Ambassador in BiH, Anatolij Shostak, today in Banja Luka, where they discussed the possibilities of further mutual co-operation between RS and Ukraine. “A long war has broken the ties and we are now trying to create the foundation for our co-operation, which would primarily be economic co-operation”, said Shostak.
1:30

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General, Kai Eide, met today with RS President, Biljana Plavsic, at the end of his one-year mandate in BiH. He stressed that he was satisfied with the co-operation of the RS President, Biljana Plavsic, and that the results of the DA implementation could have been better if politicians were more understanding. The Norwegian diplomat visited the Police Academy in Banja Luka.
0:45

The RS member of the BiH Presidency, Momcilo Krajisnik, informed the French Ambassador in Sarajevo, Yves Gaudeul, that the future Ambassador of BiH in France must represent all three nations, i.e. both entities.
0:20

During his visit to Banja Luka, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Kai Eide, held a press conference and visited the RS Ministry of Interior. “The International Community is prepared to co-operate but only when they have been offered co-operation, that is when politicians were ready for co-operation”, he said at the press conference, and added that results in the reconstruction of the police are evident. So far 4,000 Serb policemen are included in the reorganisation, besides which there are only ten check-points now instead of the previous 350. He expressed his disappointment that Serbs from Krajina could not return to their homes in Croatia. “Serbs need to be enabled to return to their homes”, he stated.
1:30

At the Ministry meeting of OSCE in Copenhagen, the German Foreign Minister, Klaus Kinkel, repeated his suggestion, put forward at the Bonn Conference, about prolonging the SFOR mandate in Bosnia. “Operations after the expiration of the OSCE mandate have to remain under NATO control, and American, European and Russian forces have to be present”, he stated. He stated that the protection of human rights, the establishment of a legal state and democracy, and the conducting of local elections were the most difficult tasks for OSCE in the next year.
0:50

The UN Agency for Refugees has adopted a plan for the return of the refugees in BiH. With that plan, the return of minorities into open cities will be increased in exchange for international assistance. The open cities will have to provide concrete evidence on the fair treatment of minorities, and prove that they are prepared to create multi-national police forces. Cities that violate the agreement will be excluded from the programme.
0:30

Russia will soon open an Embassy in BiH, with a view to opening a Consulate in RS, it was stated from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
0:15

Delegations of SDS, Serb Radical Party and the Socialist Party of RS met today in Doboj to discuss the constituting of the new Assembly of RS. Those present were: the President of SDS, Aleksa Buha, the Vice-president, Velibor Ostojic, the President of the Serb Radical Party, Nikola Poplasen, the President of the Socialist Party of RS, Zivko Radisic, and the Vice-president, Dragutin Ilic. Journalists were not officially informed about the outcome of the meeting.
0:30

The Senior Deputy High Representative for BiH, Hanns Schumacher, met separately with representatives of the parties represented in the Town Parliament and talked about the constituting of the local authorities in Bijeljina. Schumacher stated that he did not accept the election of the mayor of Bijeljina by the members of SDS and Serb Radical Party. He added that the Election Appeals Commission would resolve the problems in constituting the local authorities. They had elected Dragomir Ljubojevic, the former mayor, without the participation of the members of other parties.
1:30

A Municipal Assembly was held in Mrkonjic grad in the hotel “Krajina”.
1:00

The pre-election silence in Serbia started at midnight and will last until 8 o’clock on Sunday.
0:50

Many agencies all over the world focused today on the arrest of two Bosnian Croats indicted for war crimes today in BiH. According to the agencies those arrested are: Zlatko Kupreskic and Anto Furundzija. Kupreskic was wounded during the arrest and is now in hospital, while Furundzija is being transferred to the Hague.
0:30