RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik tonight met with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. A joint press release is expected after the meeting. During his visit to the USA he held several meetings with representatives of the State Department, financial corporations and other relevant organisations and bodies of the USA. Prime Minister Dodik assessed the meetings over the last two days as significant political support to his government. The conditions for the allocation of the World Bank $ 20 million credit to the RS were discussed in detail last night.
2:30
The NATO Council decided today that the future international force which would replace SFOR in June should remain in B&H after the September elections with the same number of soldiers and under the same name – Stabilisation Force. A constituent part of these forces will be a special unit whose main task will be public order and crowd control.
0:40
An RS government session chaired by the Vice-president, Ostoja Kremenovic, which started yesterday concluded in Banja Luka tonight. At that session, the sixth, many issues were discussed, and the draft budget was adopted, together with the draft Law on budget realisation.
1:05
Member of the B&H Presidency from the RS, Momcilo Krajisnik, met in Pale with the Ambassador of Ireand to Sarajevo, when he informed the Ambassador about RS standpoints on the problems in the RS and the B&H Federation. Krajisnik underlined that the B&H Federation tried to avoid responsibility and let the High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, decide on the most essential issues.
0:55
Co-Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers, Boro Bosic, talked today with the Head of the Russian mission to B&H, Jakov Gerasimov, about DPA implementation, the functioning of the Council of Ministers and the results of the Russian diplomatic visit to the RS and B&H Federation.
0:20
An RS government delegation visited Mrkonjic Grad and Sipovo today. Members of the delegation talked with representatives of those two municipalities.
1:50
RS Defence Minister, Manojlo Milovanovic, talked in Banja Luka today with British General, Hugh Pike, about the weapons amnesty, its procedure and deadlines.
1:40
A delegation of the European Parliament, led by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Spencer, is due to visit the RS and the B&H Federation on February 21-24 with the aim of examining the use of EU budget funds. This delegation is to hold talks with official representatives of the RS, B&H Federation and OHR.
0:30
UN Spokesperson, Alexander Ivanko, stated that two more Serb houses were torched in Drvar, warning that “it presents a serious problem and a threat for the Serbs who want to return to this town”. At the regular joint press conference of international organisations in Sarajevo, Ivanko stated that the local police in Drvar were expected to halt the mistreatment of Serb returnees.
2:15