Srpska Republika News Agency (SRNA), 98-02-05

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

JAN. 5, 1998 DAY

NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

VIENNA - The International Arbitrage Tribunal under leadership of an American diplomat Roberts Owens began in Vienna debate on the future of Brcko, conveys DPA and reminds that the Tribunal is supposed to prepare a decision whether this town would stay in territory of RS or belong to B&H Federation (FB&H). The Arbitrage Tribunal for Brcko will hear out in Vienna stances of RS and FB&H representatives shortly before making the decision on final status of this strategically important town, which is now in composition of RS under supervision of the American Supervisor Roberts Farrand. It is being expected that consultations will last for a week, and the decision to what side will belong this strategically important town will be made in March.

SARAJEVO - In the building of the National Museum in Sarajevo at 12,00 am will be continued yesterday started session of B&H Council of Ministers by discussion about application of the Law on B&H Council of Ministers, organisation within the ministries, as well as the headquarters of the Council. B&H Council of Ministers should also urgently adopt the budget for this year which is necessary for reaching of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

HAMBURG - Recognition of Croatia and Slovenia by Germany provoked escalation of war clashes in the Balkans, claims "Junge Welt", citing series of proves and making citations in favour of that thesis. The paper is publishing results of research of a professor Clemens Ronnefeld from Berlin Institute for Peace Researches and Solving of Clashes. In an analytic article which has been published by an expert magazine "Fridensforum", and conveyed in parts by "Junge Welt", the professor Ronnefeld states that "gathered material proofs of guilt of Germany for breaking up of Yugoslavia and escalation of clashes are so convincing that there is an urgent need for an all-inclusive correction of previous distorted picture".

BELGRADE - The director of the Institute for International Politics and Law from Belgrade Predrag Simic assessed in "Daily Telegraph" that "games of nerves are being played over Kosovo" which, as he said, "if things get out of control, could provoke a war tomorrow already". "A hazardous game of nerves has been played over Kosovo for a quite time, which is still in a phase of crossing of swords, but that is the way how everything had begun in Slovenia and Croatia", reminded Simic.

BANJALUKA - The RS president Biljana Plavsic had talks in Banjaluka with the Italian Ambassador to B&H Michelo Valences about previous political situation in RS. On the behalf of the Italian Government, the Ambassador Valences expressed pleasure with election of Milorad Dodik for RS Prime Minister and conveyed readiness of his country to cooperate with RS especially, as he put it, in the field of economy. "There are significant bases for development of economic system in RS", thinks the Italian Ambassador to B&H.

BERLIN - RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik announced that great part of the international financial help, (it is about 45 millions of US dollars ), would be invested in setting in motion of infrastructure and renewal of economy. Financial funds have already been planned in the framework of certain projects, and RS Government should guarantee that there would be no misuse of funds, remarked Dodik in an interview for German "Tagesspiegel". RS Prime Minister, who is now in two day's visit to Germany, expressed hope that the international community would fulfil all previous promises, assessing that process of turning of RS toward the West would advance quickly. "Our possibilities depend on concrete help which we will receive from the international community and other donors. For success of our work is also essential to get situation in RS under control", concluded Dodik in the interview for "Tagesspiegel".

LONDON - RS Prime Minister expressed readiness to allow return of refugees parallel with FB&H, and Germany and EU are, in return, ready to reward such efforts with considerable economic help, writes London "Guardian", taking up Dodik's visit to Bonn. Commenting Dodik's talks with German Chief of Diplomacy Claus Kinkel, "Guardian" assesses that "international efforts on multiethnic B&H are being demonstrated also in pressure of Germany on RS to open doors to tens of thousands of Bosniacs, who had lived in that territory before the war". "On the other hand, an parallel ultimatum had been presented to Bosniacs to open Sarajevo for Serbs and Croats, who had lived there before", cites "Guardian" conveying warning of Robert Gelbard that Bosniacs authorities, if they do not realise assigned tasks, would not get financial support for building onto of city infrastructure.

VIENNA - In a hotel "Ambassador" in Vienna session of the International Arbitrage Commission for region of Brcko began, which RS delegation sees with optimism because all of directives of the Supervisor Robert Farrand were obeyed. Nonetheless, Austrian and German commentators put in foreground disagreements of partners in the Federal Commission - Croats and Muslim, especially determined stance of Croatian side that "they are not satisfied with the chief of the Federal Arbitrage Commission Ejup Ganic". RS delegation is leaded by RS vice-president Dragoljub Mirjanic and its members are the representative of the Government in the Arbitrage Commission Krstan Simic, arbiter Vitomir Popovic, layer Nikola Kostic, director of the port of Brcko Borko Reljic and former president of the Municipality Miodrag Pajic. As it is expected, RS president Biljana Plavsic and Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, as well as the Supervisor Robert Farrand should arrive in Vienna, and as witnesses submit a report on implementation of the Temporary Arbitrage Decision.

BRCKO - The president of the Municipality Board of RS Socialist Party (SPRS) in Brcko Petar Djokic expects that the Arbitrage Tribunal will make a final and compulsory decision for Brcko to stay within RS, "because no one has right to keep Serbian people in uncertainty". At a press-conference he assessed that "the decision of the Arbitrage Tribunal represents confirmation of real intentions of the international community toward RS. "A positive decision could be significant stimulus for implementation of all aspects of the Dayton Agreement", emphasised Djokic.

BANJALUKA - The Special Envoy of UN Secretary General for B&H Elizabeth Rehn has confirmed in Banjaluka that "reconstruction of local police forces will be a successful one and completed in a proper time". At a press- conference Elizabeth Rehn announced that along with reconstruction of the police, reconstruction of criminal legislation would start too in RS and FB&H, with help of foreign advisors from the International Police Forces (IPTF).

KOTOR VAROS - It is necessary to take all measures in order for Kotor Varos to become an open town - stated an American Ambassador to B&H Richard Kauslarich during his yesterday's visit to Kotor Varos. He also said that he was encouraged with talks with municipal leadership and businessmen of this town. Kauzlarich, who visited together with an American Ambassador to Croatia William Montgomery this municipality in order to ascertain realisation of tasks in the field of return of refugees, thinks that "problem of return is not just a problem of B&H, but the whole region".

SARAJEVO - The spokesman of the High Representative Duncan Bollivant warned again in Sarajevo Croatian authorities in Stolac that they would have to allow return of Muslim families who were exiled from this town during clashes between Croats and Muslim in 1993. At a press-conference he urged the Municipality of Stolac to show cooperation in realisation of this process in seven day's term, because otherwise, as he said, "they will have to look for another job". Commenting differences in stances in the Federal Arbitrage Commission before today's interrogation before the Arbitrage Tribunal for Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL) in the region of Brcko Bollivant assessed that Croatian and Muslim side should explain before the Tribunal in Vienna the nature of the problem.

SKOPJE - Current Albanian authority and opposition are against a proposal of the president of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (BJRM) on opening of corridor for Albanian refugees from Kosovo in case of armed conflict and emphasise that "Tirana supports peaceful solution of the crisis in Kosovo". "We do not accept any corridor in Kosovo, because we believe that the Albanians in Kosovo will survive as they have done for centuries", stated the chief of Albanian diplomacy Pascal Milo for an Albanian paper "Gazeta Schiptare".

/end/

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

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