Headlines
- Plavsic and Simitis met in Athens
- Dodik and Kauzlarich opened a hospital in Zvornik
- Brussels sources report – NATO and Russia favour a peaceful solution for Kosovo
- New tensions on Cyprus
President Plavsic, who is currently visiting Greece, today met with the Greek Prime Minister and the Greek Foreign Minister respectively. The meetings focused on the improvement of relations between the two countries, the situation in BH, the implementation of the DA and the Kosovo crisis. President Plavsic also met with Greek religious leaders today, after which she held a press conference.
1:52
The reconstructed Zvornik hospital was today opened in the presence of the RS Prime Minister, Dodik, the U.S. Ambassador in BH, Richard Kauzlarich, the Director of the US AID mission in BH, Craig Back and others. “This project, Dodik said, along with several other projects that will start in eastern municipalities, prove that the IC is not against the RS and the Serb people. The only chance the RS has now is to continue with democratic changes, which will ensure support by international friends”. Ambassador Kauzlarich stated that: “The U.S. plans to remain in the area for a while supporting the DA and the nations of BH. The U.S. invested over U.S. $ 30 million in the RS last year and is planning to invest even more this and the next year, but only in those municipalities that respect principles of the peace process”.
2:57
The most recent session of the RS NA and the personnel changes within it have provoked a lot of reaction and media coverage. This is why we conducted a survey amongst citizens of Banja Luka and Bijeljina to ask them how they feel about the changes at the top of the NA and their possible effects.
3:16
NATO Secretary-General, Solana, today reiterated that NATO and Russian officials had met in Brussels to try to reach a peaceful solution of the Kosovo crisis. Solana went on to reemphasise the readiness of NATO to use force to support the requirements that had been set to be met by President Milosevic of Yugoslavia.
0:35
American Secretary of State, Albright, today appealed to the Albanian Prime Minister to pressurize the Kosovo Albanian Leader, Rugova, to start negotiations to resolve the Kosovo issue. German Chancellor Kohl stated that consent by the UN would be necessary before any possible military action in Kosovo. British Prime Minister Blair today threatened Belgrade with military measures unless conditions set by the EU were met pertaining to the Kosovo crisis. Russia is planning to send two Deputy Foreign Ministers to the Balkans to support efforts aimed at resolving the Kosovo crisis.
0:57
News agencies report that the Moscow agreement has not satisfied NATO officials. NATO is largely reported as being prepared to undertake a military operation in Kosovo. Unlike the U.S., France and Germany do not want to circumvent the UN Security Council in making the final decision on a possible military intervention.
0:42
A large number of parents whose sons are on military service in the Kosovo area today gathered in front of the building of the Yugoslav Army General-Staff, asking that they should be able to hear from their children
1:31
An agreement will be signed in Banja Luka tomorrow between US AID and representatives of 11 RS municipalities on reconstruction support worth U.S. $ 7.7 million.
0:30
New tender currency is expected to start circulating in the RS and the BH Federation on Monday. The BH National Bank Governor, Peter Nicholl, today denied an allegation claiming that the Bank had approved credits for the, meanwhile, closed BH Central Bank. On this occasion, representatives of 17 business banks, on the second day of an economic seminar in Bijeljina, today discussed the role of KM as well as the role of the recently established RS Banking Agency.
2:22
Following allegations by certain members of the Serb Coalition for the RS claiming that SRT has become a propaganda instrument in the exclusive service of Prime Minister Dodik, the RS Ministry of Information today released a statement saying that the Prime Minster, Milorad Dodik must appear in media regardless of whether some like it or not, and that political parties had, so far, been given media coverage in proportion to their role and importance in the RS political theatre.
1:40
A regular international press conference took place in Sarajevo today. The press again expressed the strongest interest in the intention of the IC to ensure that several hundred Croat and Muslim police officers are involved in the work of the RS police. On the reconstruction of BH TV, OHR Spokesperson, Aisling Byrne, stated that the process was meant to ensure equal representation of the Croat and the Bosniak people in this media.
1:32
Milorad Krnojelac, a war crime indictee, today pleaded not guilty before the Hague Tribunal. An agreement has, apparently, been reached between the local authorities and SFOR in Srbinje (formerly Fioca) on defusing tensions that arose there following the arrest of Krnojelac.
0:33