Headlines
- RS Prime Minister, Dodik, in Brussels; another ECU 100 million allocated for the RS
- President Plavsic meets an international delegation on property issues
- Krajisnik and Godelle meet
- Van den Broek announces the possibility of new sanctions against the FRY
President Plavsic today met with an international delegation for legal and property rights of refugees and DPs. The delegation announced that their office would be opened in Banja Luka on Monday to make it possible for RS refugees and DPs to resolve their property rights here, instead of going to Sarajevo.
1:55
President Plavsic today also met with members of the RS Academy of Science and Arts. President of the Academy, Petar Mandic, informed the President about the work, the programme and the needs of the academy.
0:36
An announcement was made today saying that President Plavsic and Prime Minister Dodik are expected to meet the British Foreign Minister, Robin Cook, in Banja Luka tomorrow. Cook is also expected to address RS MPs at an extraordinary session of the RS Parliament scheduled for 17:00 hrs.
0:26
Prime Minister Dodik today visited Brussels where he met with Commissioner van den Broek who praised the ambitious programme of the new RS Government and expressed the readiness of the EU to support the economic regeneration and development of the RS. Dodik also met with members of the European Parliament, which is expected to have a discussion on the RS this weekend. In the afternoon, Dodik left for Rome to meet with Italian Foreign Minister Dini.
1:00
29 sec Serb Member of the BH Presidency, Momcilo Krajisnik, today received the French Ambassador in BH, Yves Godelle. Ambassador Godelle expressed concerns over the risk of new splits in the RS. Krajisnik thanked the French Ambassador for the honour that was recently extended to President Plavsic during her visit to France and said that it was a sort of recognition for the RS. Krajisnik also met with representatives of the Commission in charge of resolving property claims by refugees and DPs to discuss the work of the Commission so far and in the future.
1:00
43 sec The HR, Carlos Westendorp, today visited Brcko. After meeting with representatives of the local Executive Board, the judiciary and the police, Westendorp told the press that the situation had improved in the town. “I will be leaving for Banja Luka tomorrow to preside over an economic meeting and to see how many projects are being planned for the RS in the coming months, in order to make it possible for the RS to catch up with the Federation”. On Brcko, the HR stated that the IC would focus on whatever the outcome of the final arbitration decision was.
2:17
The situation in Kosovo continues to be complicated. To some news agencies announcements have been made that new sanctions could possibly be imposed against the FRY. Bodies of another 12 Albanians have been transported to the Pristina hospital today. A meeting of the Coordinating Board of Albanian Political Parties was held but no conclusions were made in terms of future activities. A proposal was made to postpone the elections scheduled by Albanian political parties for 22nd March, if tensions were not defused.
2:34
A representative of the U.S. State Department, James Rubin, today appealed that dialogue should urgently be established between the Serbian authorities and Kosovo Albanians. The European Union have taken the same position, whereas official circles in Moscow expressed concerns that the situation there threatened to develop into a serious crisis. OSCE, along with official sources in Vienna, expressed the view that the issue of Kosovo should be resolved internally. French “Liberation” today referred to a statement by Robert Gelbard during his visit last week to Kosovo opposing any idea of an independent republic of Kosovo. “The Financial Times” today carried an article supporting such a position on the matter.
2:51
Another 32 bodies have today been exhumed from the mass grave at Carevo Polje, in the vicinity of Jajce. Jacques Klein today briefly visited the site.
1:12
A lawyer from Banja Luka, Simo Tosic, today said that a war crime suspect, Zoran Zigic, was willing to surrender to the Hague Tribunal voluntarily.
0:56
The RS Minister of Trade and Tourism, Nikola Kragulj, today had consultations with representatives of the Trade Union of Tourism, Trade and Catering. The meeting discussed the current difficult situation in those sectors.
1:40
The SNS Main Board, at their meeting this evening, agreed that SNS MPs at the next session of the RS Parliament would come up with an initiative to design and adopt a Law on Funding Political Parties.
0:49
A regular international press conference was today held in Banja Luka that, amongst other issues, focused on the implementation of the local election results. An IPTF spokesperson, Alun Roberts, gave details regarding the failed attempt by 48 Serbs to visit their homes and graveyards in Kupres last weekend.
1:57
Following a letter by the FRY Foreign Minister on the exodus of Serbs from E. Slavonia, the UN Security Council gave a warning to the Croatian Government.
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