Justice Louise ARBOUR, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), will begin on Thursday 16 January 1997 her first official meetings in the former Yugoslavia. She will be accompanied by M.Graham BLEWITT, Deputy Prosecutor of the ICTY.
This visit was initially scheduled to take place shortly after her taking up office in October 1996, but had to be postponed.
The purpose of this visit is to allow Justice Arbour to meet key ministers and other senior officials in the former Yugoslavia and to hold face-to-face discussions on the legal and practical aspects of the necessary cooperation between the Office of the Prosecutor and the relevant authorities. Justice Arbour and Mr. Blewitt will also take opportunity of this visit to meet the representatives of the international civilian and military organisations present in the field.
The visit's schedule
This visit will begin in Zagreb where Justice Arbour and Mr.Blewitt will be on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 January for meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister, with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, of Interior and with the Deputy Minister of Justice. They will also meet the recently appointed Head of the Government Office for cooperation with the ICTY.
The OTP delegation will be in Sarajevo between Sunday 19 and Wednesday 22 January for meetings with State representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as with representatives of the two entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska). Final arrangements are being made for meetings in Sarajevo and Pale with the Prime Ministers as well as with the Ministers of Justice and of Interior of the Federation and of Republika Srpska.
The Prosecutor and her Deputy will then go to Belgrade where they will stay on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 January, for meetings with the Federal Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Justice. They will also meet the Chairman of the State Committee for Collecting Data on Crimes against Humanity and the International Law, as well as representatives of other relevant organisations (Serbian Council Information Centre, Association of Former Detainees, Humanitarian Law Fund).
Note for the media
Press briefings will be given upon departure from each of the three visited capitals:
- Zagreb, Friday 17 January at 2.30 pm in the UNLO Press Room.
Contact: UNLO Press Office, 385.1.180.028.
- Sarajevo, Wednesday 22 January at 9.45 am at the Holiday Inn .
Contact: UNMIBH Press Office, 387.71.458.574.
- Belgrade, Friday 24 January at 2.30 pm at the Canadian Embassy.
Contact: UNLO Press Office, 381.11.196.376.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
For more information, please contact our Media Office in The Hague
Tel.: +31-70-512-8752; 512-5343; 512-5356 - Email: press [at] icty.org
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