Headlines
- Biljana Plavsic, RS President, and the Principal Deputy High Representative, Jacques Klein, agreed on the opening of the airport in Banja Luka
- The joint meeting of the High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, with members of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers of BiH in Sarajevo
- Representatives of the RS Government and the Confederation of Trade Unions of RS agreed on the payment of unpaid salaries
- We note reactions to the blowing up of the church in Brcko.
- Bonn: meeting of the heads of the general staffs of member armies of the Western European Defence Union
Top stories
Biljana Plavsic and Jacques Klein spoke today in Banja Luka and reached agreement on the opening of Banja Luka Mahovljani airport for civil traffic in mid-November. They also agreed on the establishment of a united media system in the RS, which would ensure equal access to all political factions before the parliamentary elections.“I have to say that it is good to talk to somebody who has such a sense of reality, and who is willing and who has the authority to ensure positive action here. We have talked about the opening of the airport and it is certain that it will happen some time in November,” the President stated after the meeting.
The Deputy High Representative announced the beginning of the pre-electoral campaign for next week. According to him OSCE is obliged to ensure equal treatment and media access to all political parties and factions in the RS.
The opening of border crossings with Croatia was discussed as well. Jacques Klein stated that the agreement on passports and registration plates would be reached soon.
2:30
Carlos Westendorp, the High Representative for civilian implementation of the DA, and Hans van den Broek, the EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, stated today in Sarajevo that the IC was very impatient due to slow implementation of the DA. Unless the BiH Council of Ministers stop delaying the introduction of systematic laws, the IC will introduce a protectorate in the Dayton BiH.
Momcilo Krajisnik, member of the BiH Presidency from the RS, stated after today’s meeting with Carlos Westendorp and Hans van den Broek that the Muslim side had obstructed previously reached agreements relating to the Law on Central Bank and to the Law on citizenship and passports, and added that Muslims wanted one design for the currency, named konvertibilna marka, and that our symbols on the currency bothered them, which clearly showed that they were not interested in the implementation of the agreed law. He said that the Serb side was worried for further implementation of the DA. The appointments of 27 ambassadors were approved at today’s irregular session of the Council of Ministers of BiH.
The Council accepted the platform relating to a visit to Sarajevo by a delegation from Slovenia proposed for November 7th, the leader of which will be the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Drnovsek. Boro Bosic, the co-president in the Council of Ministers of BiH, stated that all decisions reached at the irregular session were useful, and added that the Law on foreign investments would be discussed at the following session scheduled for Thursday.
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Gojko Klickovic, the RS Prime Minister and Vice President of the RS Government, and Cedo Volas, president of the Confederation of Trade Unions of RS, agreed today in BL on the payment of unpaid salaries to all workers in the RS. For the time being in the RS there would be no general strike of workers, it was reported at today’s press conference held after the meeting. According to Klickovic, the strike was prevented thanks to an agreement on payment of all unpaid salaries, as well as to a decision relating to a minimum salary in the RS, which will, starting from October 1st, amount to 200 din. The Convention on workers’ trade union freedoms was signed at today’s meeting.
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“The Serb Orthodox Church condemns any kind of terrorist action regardless of who does it and against whom,” archpriest Slavko Maksimovic from Brcko stated. The blowing up of the church in Brcko upset the citizens of this town, especially the inscription HEZBOLAH written on one of the walls of the church. What did the terrorist want to say? “It is significant that another church, the church of Saint Petka in Brcko, was burned as well. We are afraid that evil forces are trying to stop progress and the peace process in the area. We are doing our best to calm down the people in Brcko. This act is not directed against the Serbs but also against the peace process in general, i.e. against the implementation of the DA and the election results,’ Miodrag Pajic, president of the Municipality of Brcko, stated.
“The people are very upset because they are not free and safe any more. So many victims fell for freedom, and I want to believe that the IC has nothing to do with this. But I remember when Supervisor Farrand visited the church. I remember exactly what he said on that occasion. He said: “You will remember me, and the day I came. Why do not you stop the construction?”, said archpriest Slavko Maksimovic.
The Security Council of Brcko reported that the explosion had worsened the security situation in Brcko. The RS Government, headed by Gojko Klickovic, condemned the terrorist act of blowing up the church in Brcko and the burning of the church of Saint Petka in Gracica, and conveyed the protest to Supervisor Farrand. Cathy Leden, spokesperson of IPTF, stated that IPTF, SFOR and the local Police had not finished the investigation yet and emphasised that the explosion had been much stronger than they had at first thought, and that it had not been a hand grenade but an explosive device which had made a hole 1 metre in diameter. The investigation is to be continued.
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