Headlines
- British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said in Banja Luka that it was necessary that SFOR stay in BiH after end of mandate
- President of RS, Biljana Plavsic, spoke to Italian Deputy Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Fasine
- Summit of 16 European countries in Sarajevo on peace process in BiH
- Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, announced new replacements in Government
- Cloudy and raining tomorrow
President of RS, Biljana Plavsic, met with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and British Ambassador to BiH, Charles Crawford, today in Banja Luka. This was Blair’s first visit to British SFOR forces in RS. Plavsic expressed her gratitude for all the assistance provided to the RS by British SFOR, British governmental and non-governmental agencies.
00:50
Plavsic also spoke today in Banja Luka to the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Fasine. They mainly discussed the establishment of the future RS National Assembly and Government, and the unavoidable topic of implementation of the Dayton Agreement. Plavsic commented that Italy did not consider RS should be divided into an Eastern and Western part.
01:15
Media worldwide reiterate that the High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, supports the idea of having a NATO mandate lasting several years in BiH. That is not only because of the immediate danger of possible conflict, but because western diplomats would otherwise lose their power of persuasion and their authority in negotiations would be significantly reduced. Westendorp announced a stricter approach to anyone opposing the implementation of the Dayton Agreement because that was a condition of the US for it’s further presence in the field.
01:10
US Ambassador in BiH, Richard Kauzlarich, stated in Sarajevo today that the RS military could not be included in the “Equip and Train” programme until the RS confirms its adherence to the Dayton Agreement.
00:45
The office of the Brcko Supervisor, Robert Farand, issued a press release today, denying media reports on irregularities in traffic over the bridge in Brcko, between the RS and Republic of Croatia. The release stated that the RS police was respecting all regulations regarding the charging of customs and other taxes.
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A 7th meeting of the Standing Committee on the Economy was held in Banja Luka today. The participants considered the possibility of restructuring the whole RS economy.
00:50
A press conference of the SDS, chaired by Djordje Mikic, President of the SDS Banja Luka Municipal Board, was held today in Banja Luka. Mikic said that his party’s primary task after the parliamentary elections was to establish expert teams. He emphasised that the SDS would ask all the parliamentary parties to the first session of the RS National Assembly, to agree on a minimum of national interests.
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