Srpska Republika News Agency (SRNA), 98-03-26

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From: The Serbian Unity Congress Server at http://www.suc.org

MAR. 26, 1998 DAY

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

SARAJEVO - The B&H Council of Ministers will discuss at the session in Sarajevo implementation of the Law on Council of Ministers (rule books on internal organisation) and appoint a representative in the World and Central Bank and in IMF. A proposal of the agreement between B&H and ICMPD will also be on the agenda.

BIJELJINA - The Swiss Ambassador to B&H Wilhelm Schmidt will visit Bijeljina where at 3.00 pm he will hold a news conference in premises of Helsinki Board for Human Rights.

KOZARSKA DUBICA - The Minister for RS veterans' and victims' of war affairs Tihomir Gligoric and his associate Jefto Usorac promised that they would do everything in order for social problems of veterans, their families and captured Serbian soldiers to be solved immediately.

SARAJEVO - A member of RS Expert Commission for relations with the Hague war crimes tribunal, Darko Trifunovic, stated for SRNA that possibilities of Serbs to defend themselves of alleged war crimes would depens upon political and not law elements. According to him, the Hague war crimes tribunal was founded by a political decision.

BRUSSELS - After the first day of negotiations in Brussels about succession of the former Yugoslavia, the RS representative Spasoje Tusevljak expressed hope that a progress might be achieved. "Talks are very complicated", he said.

TREBINJE - A session of the Initiative Board of the RS Party of Independent Social Democrats for Trebinje, was held. The session was participated by its President Milorad Dodik. ScD Dobroslav Cuk was elected President of the Initiative Board and Milorad Klimovic its secretary.

SOKOLAC - The President of the RS Serbian Radical Party (SRS RS) Nikola Poplasen stated for SRNA that regulations imposed by

OSCE and conduct of their representatives regarding implementation of the local elections results were not in accordance with democratic principles. "By many stances of the international community political stances of Serbian parties in RS have been thwarted , which gained mandates on the election, and for that reason SRS will have to take a stand and defend political principles of the party" - Poplasen said.

ZVORNIK - Members of Municipal Board of Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) from Zvornik had talks about new inter-party elections for local institutions, which should be held in the next 15 days, in accordance with Parliamentary elections.

VLASENICA - Electoral Assembly of Serbian People Union (SNS) from Vlasenica elected Janko Vlacic from "Boksit" for the president of Municipal Board of the party.

SRBINJE - Public inaugural session of RS Socialist party was held in Srbinje. Zivko Radisic and Dragutin Ilic, president and vice-president of the party made their speech.

MRKONJIC GRAD - The OSCE Sub-Commission of experts for media organised in the hotel "Krajina" in Mrkonjic Grad a lecture on a subject "Media, role of media and journalists in implementation of forthcoming elections in RS and FB&H".

NEVESINJE - Office of nongovernmental humanitarian organisation MPDL offers, for almost two weeks now, legal advises and information to refugees and displaced persons regarding abandoned and destroyed property.

MAR. 26, 1998 DAY

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

SARAJEVO - The President in the B&H Presidency from RS Momcilo Krajisnik forwarded a letter to Dragan Kalinic, the president of the RS National Assembly, in which he said that the Serbian Parliament had to have decisive word regarding role of the OSCE in the forthcoming elections. "The OSCE started with activities regarding organising and implementation of September elections, and related to that yesterday I received the OSCE chief of mission Mr. Robert Barry and his special envoy, Vladimir Kuznecov. The OSCE mission mandate expired, and if the OSCE intends to continue with its mission to B&H and RS it must get a permission.

DOBOJ - Dragan Kalinic, the President of the RS National Assembly said in Doboj that "winners and losers in new circumstances must restrain their interests" and to be focused on making prerequisites for better life of the RS citizens. Kalinic said that "no one should weep over their failure, nor to celebrate the victory, but to act for well-being of citizens".

PODGORICA - The RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and delegation of National Party headed by Novak Kilibarda at the meeting in Podgorica emphasised importance of efforts made by RS President Biljana Plavsic and Government for the Serbian people to be socially and in every other way renewed. The Prime Minister Dodik said many positive facts regarding help of democratic world to the RS Government in the field of economy.

VISEGRAD - Ostoja Kremenovic, the vice-president of the RS Government has been informed in Visegrad about problems of the local authority, and it was agreed for concrete cooperation between government's institutions and municipal assembly to be continued and focused on solving of problems of refugees and displaced persons.

THE HAGUE - The International war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia made a decision to release the Serb Milan Simic on parole, who had surrendered himself to the Court, because of accusation of alleged war crimes during the civil war in B&H, SRNA learns. The decision has been made because, as it was put, "healths reasons".

BANJALUKA - On the Patra bridge in Banjaluka the mayor Djordje Umicevic and U.S.A. Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich marked ending of 23 projects in ten municipalities of RS, amounting to U.S.$ 1,2 millions. It is about projects of the American Agency for International Development (USAID).

DOBOJ - Finnish Ambassador to B&H Tim Caponen announced that his Government would finance reconstruction of water supply and heating network in Doboj. "Works on its reconstruction are on-going", stated the Finnish Ambassador.

BRCKO - In Serbian part of Brcko municipality 807 families returned by March 23 from B&H federation - it was stated for SRNA in Brcko Municipal Assembly's Executive Board. From 6,500 requests of FB&H citizens, Commission for Return acting under jurisdiction of Supervisor's Office approved 2,613 applications from which 1,823 are made Muslims, and 790 by Croats, i.e. for 10,700 persons.

BANJALUKA - The president of "Klub Kordunasa" in Banjaluka Marinko Bjelic forwarded a protest to the Croatian Government regarding their conduct of enabling a group of 33 former residents of Vojnic tried to visit that place.

MAR. 26, 1998 EVENING

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

PODGORICA - On the second day of his official visit to Montenegro the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik had talks in Podgorica with the Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, in which utmost interest for economic cooperation and cooperation in the field of privatisation was expressed. The need to conduct the cooperation without any administrative and political barriers was emphasised. The development of economic and other aspects of cooperation was discussed in the talks as well.

SARAJEVO - The B&H Council of Ministers adopted the Rule Book on internal organisation of the ministries, but the issue of the seat was left unsolved, the co-presiding Boro Bosic said. Bosic explained the uncoordinated stances of the Council's members regarding the seat of this institution saying that the major work was in question and that much effort had to be made in implementation of the Rule Book. Proposals of the International Community High Representative for B&H Carlos Westendorp and his deputy Hans Schumacher for the seat of the common B&H institutions to be a district, in the framework of which legislativelegal status of space and personnel would be solved, were accepted as well.

BANJALUKA - The Director of the Republic Customs Administration (RUC) Dragoljub Trivanovic confirmed in Banjaluka that seven managers of customs had been replaced in the last month and that several customs officers had been suspended for misuse of their position and criminal acts. At a press- conference he explained that the manager of the customs in Trebinje Dusan Vidacic had been replaced because of misuse and criminal acts and that only 386 dinars were collected in this station during 1997. Trivanovic also mentioned misuses between the customs and forwarding agencies, saying that few forwarders in Zvornik were falsifying documentation, like "Progress", "Fersped" and "Vedaprom".

SARAJEVO - The IPTF spokesman Liam McDowell confirmed in Sarajevo that the judges of the Hague war crimes tribunal agreed that a Serb Milan Simic, who voluntarily surrendered to the tribunal, should be released on the ground of health reasons before the trial begins. He stated at the press- conference that the releasing would be possible, but with certain conditions that must be obeyed. "The conditions of Simic's releasing have been agreed in the letter signed by the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and Internal Affairs Minister Milovan Stankovic on March 20", McDowell explained reminding that RS authorities were due to guarantee that Simic would fulfil all obligations for temporary releasing.

SARAJEVO - The OHR spokeswoman Aisling Byrne said that the police of the Republic of Croatia prevented Serbian refugees to visit the region of Kordun and Lika, which had been organised yesterday by OHR in cooperation with UNHCR. She explained at a press-conference in Sarajevo that the Serbian refugees, temporary settled in Banjaluka, had been enabled to visit Vojnic, in spite off the agreement made with Croatian authorised Ministry and Croatian Foreign Affairs Minister and mayor Vojinic.

BELGRADE - The President of Serbian Radical Party (SRS) of Serbia Vojislav Seselj said he supported the newly formed government of national union and that SRS would do everything for the Government's programme to be realised and social, cultural and political problems of Serbia to be solved. Speaking of work of the Government, which is presided by him, Seselj assessed that up to then it operated uniquely and had sufficient understanding.

BELGRADE - If Kosovo was separated from Serbia, the same scenario which lead to disassembling of the former Yugoslavia would be repeated, Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) warns. "As it has been concluded at the session of the Contact Group held yesterday in Bonn, Serbia and FRY were given chance to initiate talks with Kosovo Albanians, so rationality and justification of the stance that Kosovo problem can be solved only within Serbia could be proved.

BELGRADE - The spokesman of New Democracy (ND) Rebeka Srbinovic expressed hope that the new Government of Serbia would achieve to provide salaries, release Kosovo of tensions and solve misunderstandings with the international community. "I hope that the Government will achieve to realise everything that the Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic announced in the report in the Republican Parliament", Mrs. Srbinovic underlined at press-conference, emphasising that ND would give 100 days to the new Government "to consolidate, organise and show the first results".

SID - Authorities of the Republic of Croatia are requiring from Serbs in Eastern Slavonia to settle all receivables for public utilities in the last seven years, so they could sell their real estates after that, a family which recently moved to Sid told SRNA. "The same debts of the citizens of the Croatian nationality are written off, by which the impoverished Serbs are forced to leave their fatherland", said the family, but wanted to remain anonymous since "they have some real property left in Croatia". Another way of forcing Serbs to leave is conducted by the Regulation of Croatian Government, according to which the Serbs can stay in the Croatian houses where they are presently settled only until May 1.

MOSTAR - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) from Bugojno and local catholic officials are calling exiled Croats to return to the town and asking for international organisations to help in repairing their destroyed houses, Croatian Radio Herceg-Bosna reported.

PODGORICA - The Prime Ministers of RS and Montenegro, Milorad Dodik and Filip Vujanovic, signed in Podgorica the Agreement on economic cooperation between the two Governments, anticipating joint investments, inter alia, in the field of electric power industry, telecommunication and traffic infrastructure. As it is said in the text conveyed to SRNA, the two Government are obliged to mutually exchange experiences and cooperation in the field of geological researches and mining and stimulate more firmer integration of infrastructure - telecommunications, post, passenger, air and railroad traffic.

PODGORICA - The RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has talks in Podgorica with the Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic about the current political and economic situation in the two republics, as well as importance of further strengthening of economic cooperation. The President Djukanovic supported agreement of the two delegations headed by Filip Vujanovic and Milorad Dodik that the cooperation in the field of power supply, traffic, agriculture and trade should be regulated by an adequate agreement.

BELGRADE - The deputy director of the main office of the Yugoslav Left Wing, Ivan Markovic, said that only the one who is against his own country and people can be against implementation of the Agreement on Education in Kosovo. "The Agreement on Education in Kosovo is an example that agreement and a step toward normalisation of relations in one of the most significant spheres of social life was possible", Markovic said.

PRISTINA - The only right way to solve the crisis in Kosovo is a special status of a district which, in the opinion of the U.S.A., has to have significant autonomy, the special American envoy for B&H Robert Gelbard assessed in Pristina. He emphasised at a press-conference that the solution could be achieved "only in the framework of a political agreement".

MOSCOW - The final document from the session of the Contact Group held yesterday in Bonn, regarding the situation in Kosovo, represents a reasonable and balanced solution, Genady Tarasov, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said at the press- conference. He said that the Contact Group noted certain progress in solving of some problems in Kosovo.

WARSAW - The OSCE chairman and Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Bronislav Geremec announced in Warsaw that the next day he would visit Belgrade and Pristina in order to organise a Round Table between authorities of Serbia, FRY and Albanians from Kosovo. He said that Milosevic gave his "preliminary approval" for the meeting.

VIENNA - The federal Minister for Foreign Trade Borislav Vukovic and president of the Austrian Parliament Heinz Fischer agreed in Vienna that a dialogue in Kosovo was necessary and that it was the right way to solve these disputable questions. "Onesided pressures are not acceptable and if there are any, all parts involved should show a good will for solving certain issues", Vukovic said for SRNA.

STOCKHOLM - Albanian Foreign Affairs Minister Paskal Milo stated in Stockholm that Albania did not seek for independence of Kosovo, but for status of a republic within the Yugoslav federation, Reuters reported. At a press-conference Paskal Milo asked for the international community to undertake more stronger measures against the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic because of alleged violence in Kosovo.

SPLIT - Croatian, Slovenian and Austrian Foreign Affairs Ministers, Mate Granic, Boris Frlec and Wolfgang Schuessel supported the final document from yesterday's session in Bonn, related with the crisis in Kosovo. These three ministers approved the decision of the Contact Group for the possible imposing of sanctions on FRY to be postponed for a month and assessed that it was necessary to start the dialogue between Serbia and Albanians from Kosovo.

BELGRADE - The Yugoslav and Croatian Foreign Affairs Ministers Zivorad Jovanovic and Mate Granic will most probably have talks next month, Belgrade media report citing the statement of the Croatian Consul Neven Vrankovic. According to him, intensive preparations are on-going for the meeting, at which an agreement on trade and payment operations between the two countries should be signed.

MOSTAR - Return of the Serbs in Drvar is conditioned with return of Croats, currently settled in Serbian houses, to their pre-war places of residence, the radio Herzeg-Bosnia reports. According to the same source, around 9,000 Croats from 50 municipalities of the former B&H have decided to stay in Drvar and neighbouring villages until the return to previous homes was provided.

MOSTAR - Muslims in the village of Bukovica near Travnik attacked around sixty Croats who used to live there once, when they tried last week to visit their burnt and destroyed houses. They were attacked with stones and sticks, and it has been even fired at one of the Croats, but fortunately he was not hurt.

/end/

From the Serbian Unity Congress Server at http://www.suc.org

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