Srpska Republika News Agency (SRNA), 98-03-20

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

MAR. 20, 1998 DAY

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

BANJALUKA - The RS Minister for Refugees and Displaced Persons Miladin Dragicevic, warned in Banjaluka about extremely difficult situation and utterly unbearable living conditions in 14 collective shelters with around 2,200 refugees, in Visegrad Municipality. He stated for SRNA that people organised themselves and started to built around 320 housing units in and near Visegrad.

BANJALUKA - The RS Minister of Traffic and Communication Marko Pavic confirmed in Banjaluka that, during his visit to South Korea, RS has been approved a credit amounting to U.S.$ 20 millions from South Korea with 30 years' term of repayment. "It is about very favourable credit assets intended for development in the field of telecommunications. We reached an a agreement for this credit to be realised through European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)", Pavic said.

BANJALUKA - The RS National Assembly in Banjaluka, in the continuation of the fourth session, adopted a Law on RS Banking agency with amendments. Representatives of Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)and Serbian Radical Party (SRS) were against adoption of this law because their amendments that Managing Board and Agency Director should not be elected by Government but by the National Assembly. The parliament adopted the Law on changes and amendments of the Law on arms and amunition, and session continued with a discussion on amendments on Bill on changes and amendments of the Law on Ministries.

BANJALUKA - The RS President Biljana Plavsic and RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik had separate talks in Banjaluka with the Swiss Minister for Justice and Police Arnold Koeler about possibilities of return of refugees in RS. After the meeting, Plavsic stated for the press that the Swiss Government should make a list of returnees with their wishes regarding in what part of Repubilika Srpska they would like to come back. According to her, there must be a serious study on the problem.

SARAJEVO - The President in the B&H Presidency from RS Momcilo Krajisnik said in Pale, during the farewell visit of pontiff nuncio Francesko Monterisy, that RS and Vatican had a good relations. He forwarded an invitation for cooperation to Vatican as a state which had a very active role in B&H.

BANJALUKA - The RS vice-president and rector of Banjaluka University Dragoljub Mirjanic had talks in Banjaluka with the Russian Ambassador to B&H Filip Sidorsky about cooperation of the two countries regarding science, education , culture and economy. Mirjanic stated after the meeting that RS would have to make projects and programmes of possible cooperation between the two countries.

SARAJEVO - The B&H Presidency agreed on opening of diplomatic offices of the U.S, in Banjaluka and Mostar, Great Britain in Banjaluka and Polish general consulate in Sarajevo - it has been stated for SRNA from the President's Cabinet.

SARAJEVO - "The UN Security Council welcomes the announcement of the decision on 15 March 1998 relating to Brcko by the Arbitral Tribunal pursuant to Article V, Annex 2 to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Annexes thereto and to the Award of 14 February" - said Liam McDowall at a press-conference in Sarajevo. The Security Council, recalling that the process in Brcko and the beginnings of the establishment of a multi-ethnic administration, considers that the decision of 15 March 1998 represents the best interests of the peace process. The Security Council calls upon the Parties to Annex 2 to the Peace Agreement to implement the decision without delay, as they are obliged to do. According to him, the UN secretary General Special Representative Elizabeth Rehn informed the Council about human rights in B&H.

BRCKO - The acting supervisor for Brcko Ian McClaud said that Muslim and Croatian officials from multi-ethnic authority in the city would return to their works on March 23. In a statement for SRNA McClaud said that "there are going to be no sanctions because of their absence, because it is justified by consultations with authorities within every entity".

BANJALUKA - The IPTF spokesman for Banjaluka and Bihac Alun Roberts stated that, according to the statement of the International Commission for Human Rights, 19 Serbs were in prison 'Bilice' near Split, from whom 18 have been detained in Croatian Army' operation 'Oluja' against RS. At a press- conference in Banjaluka he said that all prisoners were accused of war crimes and 16 of them went on a hunger strike. They said they never had a chance to prove before the court their innocence.

BELGRADE - Liaison officer with the Hague tribunal Goran Neskovic stated for the paper "Dnevni Telegraf" that RS, at the moment, had no liaison officer with the Hague tribunal because he resigned from the position, because of lack of financial assets. Neskovic said that problems began on March 2, when liaison officers with the Hague tribunal became a part of personnel in B&H Foreign Affairs Ministry.

MAR. 20, 1998 EVENING

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

BANJALUKA - The RS National Assembly's vice-president Nikola Poplasen stated in Banjaluka that the Assembly lost its political independence and integrity, citing that the Law on RS Banking Agency, which is opposed to the Regulations of RS Constitution, had been adopted at the session. According to him, the Law passed the Assembly's procedure thanks to cooperation of Serbian National Union (SNS), Socialist Party (SP RS) and centre of power in the RS Parliament consisted of representatives from the Muslim- Croat federation. Poplasen is of opinion that political life in RS has been excluded from the state organs and that the strongest influence has the international community.

BELGRADE - The President of RS Government Milorad Dodik and president of the company ICN Galenika and former Prime Minister of Yugoslavia Milan Panic will have a meeting in Belgrade on March 22 - was announced from Panic's office in Belgrade. The subject of the conversation is not familiar, but a pressconference is scheduled for 12,00 am in the Belgrade's media centre.

SARAJEVO - The Canton's Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo submitted a claim to the Canton's Court to expand the investigation against Goran Vasic because of grounded suspicion that he committed seven was crimes more - is said in a court's statement, conveyed by daily press in Sarajevo. It is not said in the statement what were those offences or where they were committed.

DOBOJ - The general director of RS Railways (ZRS) Marinko Biljarevic stated for SRNA that the RS Railway showed with successful conclusion of works on signalisation and telecommunication system in railway junction in Doboj that they were capable for joining European and neighbouring railways. He emphasised in a statement for SRNA that the RS Railways were expertly and organisationally ready to carry out other works to improve capacity and safety while SFOR's railway trains pass by.

PRISTINA - More than 15,000 Serbs and Montenegrins from the municipality of Djakovica and neighbouring municipalities gathered in the centre of Djakovica in front of the Holy Trinity Church to nonviolently protest against Albanian terrorism and separatism and give their support for Serbia's organs in their attempt to put an end to terrorism. Participants of today-held peaceful protest walked down the streets of Djakovica, paying their tribute to the policemen killed in clashes with the terrorists, and then peacefully dispersed. Similar protests were held today in Istok, including 5,000 citizens and in Klina, where more that 10,000 Serbs and Montenegrins raised their voices against terror of the Albanian separatists in Serbia.

PRISTINA - Not even today representatives of Albanians from Serbia did not accept an invitation of the Serbia's Government to have talks about how to solve the crisis in Kosovo, the Regional Secretary for Informing Bosko Drobnjak stated in Pristina. Representatives of Moslem, Turkish and Gipsyish nationality and some Albanians came to attend the dialogue. The following, eight meeting is scheduled for March 23 at 11,00 am.

LONDON - Demonstrations of the Serbs in Kosovo occurred just in time when the Serbian leadership for the first time expressed readiness to negotiate on more extensive autonomy of the region, London's "The Times" writes and reminds that more than 30,000 Serbs were on the streets of Pristina yesterday, showing how big their rage is because of the Albanian separatism.

HAMBURG - The German paper "Neues Deutchland" comments the phenomenon of double standards regarding Albanian terrorism and asks an indicative question whether an Albanian criminal from Germany is a terrorist only when he has to be expelled back to Kosovo, but is no longer the terrorist when he plants and throws bombs in Kosovo. In the comment titled "When a terrorist is really a terrorist" is said that actions of exiling Albanians who committed murders in Germany are followed by noticeable difficulties of double interpretation of the same problem, which are ending with absurdity.

ROME - The catholic organisation "St. Egidio" will offer to members of the Group "three + three" to sign on Monday 23 the final text of an Agreement on normalisation of education in Kosovo, diplomatic sources in Rome said. On that occasion, an envoy of the "St.Egidio", Monsignor Vincenco Palla arrived, so he could inform signers of its first version - that-time president of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic and leader of Albanians from Serbia Ibrahim Rugova about the final text. As the diplomatic sources in Rome emphasise, Monsignor Palla will try to persuade the Group "three + three" to sign the final version of the Agreement before Monday, which realisation was severely demanded by the Contact Group at its session in London held on March 9.

SARAJEVO - The chairman of the B&H Presidency Alija Izetbegovic forwarded a letter to the International Community High Representative in B&H Carlos Westendorp and chief of the OSCE mission Robert Berry demanding change of the arbitration decision for Srebrenica, made on March 12, so the Muslims could have absolute power in the town. He also wants for the Executive Board's president and five members of municipal authority to be representatives of the Muslim coalition, headed by Party of Democratic Action. Srebrenica's Municipal Assembly's inaugural session is due to be held on march 24.

MAR. 20, 1998 EVENING

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

BANJALUKA - These days the International war crimes tribunal in The Hague should allow accused Milan Simic to defend himself while on bail, SRNA learns. The RS Ministry of Internal Affairs gave a written guarantee for Simic, who before surrendering to the Tribunal used to live in Samac, that he would be available for the institution in the further procedure.

NEVESINJE - The SFOR deputy commander of Southeast division general Napolitano Vivaldi stated in Nevesinje that the action of disarmament in Herzegovina had been partially concluded, saying that "the future lies in work and peace and not in arms". In an interview with the radio Nevesinje he said that he was pleased with the situation in Herzegovina, because things were going well, expressing special pleasure with cooperation of the people with SFOR.

BELGRADE - The Yugoslav Government assessed that "only by dialogue and political means constructive solutions for Kosovo crisis can be achieved, in accordance with European standards". The Federal Government says in a statement that "it is necessary for leaders of Albanian minority's political parties to show political responsibility, toward both open and real platform of Serbia's leadership and clear stance of the international community".

BRUSSELS - The European Union decided to stop issuing visas for ten Serbia's Internal Affairs Ministry's high officials, put a ban on export of special military-police anti-terroristic equipment and block credit guarantees for FRY affairs. This decision, proposed by EU Political Committee in Brussels, was made by EU Ministers of Justice and Internal Affairs, demanding from the Yugoslav Government to find a political solution for Kosovo through a dialogue. The EU Ministers of Justice and Internal Affairs especially stressed that persons who were identified as responsible for worsen security in Kosovo would not be allowed to enter EU contries.

BRUSSELS - At a session in Brussels officials of the Contact Group assessed that moves of Belgrade in solving of the crisis in Kosovo were "insufficient and too late" and announced that they would continue the pressure on both sides to establish an unconditioned dialogue. A British Jeremy Greenstock, the chairman of the session, conveyed the stance of countries-members of the Contact Group that " they do not want to see the violence in Kosovo anymore, but the police implementing fair methods".

PARIS - The French press conveys statements that German and French Foreign Affairs Ministers, Klaus Kinkel and Hubert Vedrine, made after the visit to Belgrade, welcoming Belgrade's promise to take some steps in stabilisation of the situation in Kosovo and offering reintegration of FRY in the international community as a reward. The two Ministers added that "the Albanians should be convinced to give up the demand for independence and start effective dialogue with authorities of Serbia and Yugoslavia".

PRISTINA - Western analysts think that the leader of Albanians from Serbia Ibrahim Rugova appeared to waver in his demands that international mediators participate in talks with Serbia on future of Kosovo. According to analysts, Rugova wants to make a retreat, i.e. to accept negotiations without a mediator if the international pressure was increased.

NIS - At the plateau in front Nis University several hundreds of students held a rally of support for students of Pristina University, warning that "if the power in Kosovo was in the hands of the Albanians for five minutes only, the Serbs in Kosovo would have their Bartholomew night and it would be the end".

/end/

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

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