Headlines
Children, women and older persons – 20 casualties in last night’s NATO attack on Surdulica, for which a NATO official said was a missed target.
- Surdulica, Novi Sad, Podgorica, Belgrade, Pristina, Pozega, Paracin were the targets of the 34th day of NATO aggression
- Milutinovic and Rugova agreed in Pristina today that Kosovo interim executive board should be formed soon
- Draskovic is no longer Deputy PM of the Yugoslav Government
- RS NA adopted last night a Conclusion obliging it to elect the new government and unblock the institution of the RS President
- BiH to be in CoE by the end of the year, Radisic stated upon his return from Strasbourg
16 casualties have been taken out from the ruins of the housing facilities in Surdulica so far, among them 11 children at the age between 5 and 12, Tanjug correspondent reports.
Podgorica, Bar, Sutomore, Pristina, Belgrade, Pozega, Novi Sad (report on today’s bombing by SRNA and SRT correspondents)
Talks on peaceful and political solution for Kosmet should be direct and with equal participation of all national communities in Kosmet – this is a joint statement signed in Pristina today by the President of Serbia Milan Milutinovic and Ibrahim Rugova, leader of the Kosovo Democratic Alliance.
Viktor Chernomyrdin is due to arrive to Belgrade tomorrow, the agency ITAR TASS reports referring to the diplomatic resources.
Kofi Annan stresses that the long-term solution for Kosovo will not be reached on the battlefield, Beta reported.
Deputy State Secretary Strobe Talbott stated in Berlin today that Belgrade had not given any signs that the Government of Milosevic would accept NATO conditions for resolving of the Kosovo conflict.
US House of Representatives Committee for International Relations rejected unanimously last night the resolution on formal declaration of war to Yugoslavia, as well as the resolution on withdrawal of the American forces which are taking part in the attacks against Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav PM Bulatovic dismissed today Draskovic from the function of the Deputy PM due to, as it was said, his speeches held in public contrary to the standpoints of the Yugoslav Government and ruining of the reputation of the Government of Yugoslavia, the RTS reported.
The crisis in Kosovo was the subject of today’s session of the CoE PA in Strasbourg.
Zivko Radisic returned to Banja Luka today. Upon his arrival, Radisic said that BiH is going through a critical phase and that its destiny depends on the DA. There is a realistic possibility for BiH to be admitted to the CoE, Radisic said.
Yugoslav Army Information Service Former Head Ljubomir Stojadinovic stated that NATO forces had lost more than 100 commandos in the actions of saving pilots of the crashed aircraft, Vecernje novosti carries in tomorrow’s issue, and Beta reports.
Montenegrin Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Navigation denied claims by the NATO officials that 10 ships with the oil derivatives are arriving in Montenegro on a daily basis via the port Bar.
At a NATO press conference held in Brussels, Javier Solana stressed the example of SFOR in BiH as a suitable pattern for the international presence in Kosovo. Answering to the journalists’ question whether NATO is going to help Serb refugees to return to Krajina and other parts they had been expelled from, Solana vaguely answered he hoped that Europe would enter the 21st century with refugee problems resolved. General Giuseppe Marani briefly stated that the bomb, which hit the housing settlement in Surdulica, had missed the objective. Jamie Shea said that NATO supports the autonomy of Kosovo, while other two options – division of Kosovo or independence- are unacceptable for the Alliance.
Protests (Belgrade, Corfu, Tokyo, and Jakarta)
RS NA adopted last night a Conclusion obliging it to elect the new government and unblock the institution of the President. The “Sloga” coalition and the KCDBiH voted for this Conclusion, the SDS was abstained, while the SRS voted against.
RS Vice President Sarovic and HR talked about the current situation in the RS in Banja Luka today. The HR also presented Sarovic with the work of the CoE in Strasbourg and the conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for BiH to be admitted to the CoE.
RS PM Dodik talked in separate visits in Banja Luka today with Robert Farrand and Robert Barry.
RS Minister of Defense Manojlo Milovanovic talked with Robert Barry in Banja Luka today about military-security situation in the RS and BiH.
The Grand Council of the District Court in Srpsko Sarajevo acquitted today, due to the lack of evidence, the six accused of having committed a criminal act of murder of the Srpsko Sarajevo Central Police Station Deputy Head Srdjan Knezevic.
SRS press conference
OHR informed that the common driving licenses for RS and FBiH are in the process of preparation, Alexandra Stiglmayer stated.
Yugoslav soldiers left Prevlaka, a UN official stated today.
All the SPO ministers in the Yugoslav Government offered their resignations to the ministerial posts after Draskovic had been dismissed, Draskovic stated this evening.