Budapest Regional delegation (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia)

Throughout the year, the regional delegation closely followed developments in Kosovo, to anticipate their repercussions on the humanitarian situation in other Balkan States. In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, relations remained strained between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians, who comprise roughly a third of the population. Spring brought a spate of violence in Kosovo and from March onwards a number of Albanians crossed the border into Macedonia to seek refuge with friends and relations in the country. The status of this group was hard to define, since the authorities classified them as "ordinary visitors" rather than "real refugees", making it difficult for humanitarian organizations to verify their exact number.

Delegation in Skopje

In view of the deterioration of the situation in Kosovo, as of 1 June the ICRC mission in Skopje, which had been functioning as a sub-delegation attached to the Budapest regional delegation, became fully operational and began reporting directly to Geneva. To prepare for the possibility of an influx of refugees from Kosovo, the ICRC cooperated closely with the Macedonian Red Cross and the Federation. The Macedonian Red Cross and the Federation built up contingency stocks, while the ICRC and the National Society prepared to respond to tracing, protection and emergency medical needs.

Economic transition

The Budapest regional delegation saw considerable political and social changes in the other countries it covered during the year. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia started negotiations for membership of the European Union and, in the case of the first three, NATO. The move from centrally planned to market economies, while doubtless bringing benefits to the region, also gave rise to an amalgam of political, social and economic problems. During this complex transition period the ICRC kept up its support for dissemination, tracing, communication and promotional activities in all the countries covered by the delegation.

Workshops on humanitarian law

In the Czech Republic, the regional delegate outlined the new ICRC structure in the region to officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, and emphasized the need to develop dialogue on humanitarian issues. In May a course in the law of armed conflict was conducted at a military academy in Budapest. This was the first dissemination activity to be carried out for the Hungarian Home Defence Force since 1991; it took place just over one month after an agreement on cooperation in this sphere was signed by the ICRC President and the Hungarian Minister of Defence. A series of workshops on the law of armed conflict continued throughout the year, with the aim of increasing knowledge of humanitarian law within key officer training institutions. The Slovenian Red Cross organized its third international youth camp in July, bringing together participants from other European National Societies. The primary goals of the camp were to promote tolerance, especially in the former Yugoslavia, and to enhance know-ledge of the Red Cross as a humanitarian organization.

Anti-personnel mines conference

At the end of March the ICRC helped organize a regional conference on anti-personnel landmines in Budapest. During the conference, which was attended by defence and foreign affairs officials from 19 Central and East European States as well as representatives of National Red Cross Societies, the issue of anti-personnel mines in the region was discussed in the light of the Convention adopted in Ottawa in December 1997. The conference was the first important gathering of its kind organized in the region since the treaty was signed and was held in parallel with a meeting of non-governmental organizations, convened by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

The regional delegation organized a visit to the Slovenian capital Ljubljana by the ICRC President on the occasion of Slovenia's presidency of the UN Security Council during the month of August, and to mark the fifth anniversary on 25 August of recognition of the Slovenian Red Cross as a new National Society. The visit included individual meetings with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Meetings were also held with the Secretaries of State for Health and Defence.

The ICRC President visited Bucharest from 29 to 31 August at the invitation of the Romanian President. The President met, among others, the Romanian President, the Chairman of the Senate, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, the President of the Alliance for Romania party and the former Minister for Foreign Affairs.

An agreement on the dissemination of international humanitarian law among Romanian armed forces was signed in Bucharest on 31 August by the Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, on behalf of the Minister of Defence, and the ICRC President.