LAGUMDZIJA: SANADER'S STATEMENT REPRESENTS A DENIAL OF BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 27,2007) – The Bosnian Social-Democratic Party (SDP) President Zlatko Lagumdzija stated that the Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader’s statement regarding the building of the disputed Peljesac Bridge,represents the most brutal denial of Bosnia and its institutions since late Croatian President Tudman’s calls for the partition of Bosnia during the Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Lagumdzija said that an in effort to collect cheap political points in the lead up to the elections in Croatia Sanader is treating the Bosnian citizens as three tribes, which he and similar quasi politicians and phoney statesmen will “enlighten”.

Unfortunately, he added,the Bosnian authorities are with their silence showing inability or are betraying paths they have given before the Bosnian Parliament.

According to Lagumdzija the only way out of this situation would be a firm reaction by the Bosnian Presidency, measures by the Bosnian Government and relevant ministries, which would then be followed by an agreement between the two states in order to avoid lawsuits before relevant international institutions.

“One does not have to have the mind of a statesman to understand that a Bosnia's lawsuit would delay the EU perspective, not only of Croatia, but the entire region as well. Unfortunately, the decision on a lawsuit by our country would not be a matter of our choice, but something of Sanader own making,” Lagumdzija stated.

Croatia is now building the disputed bridge, but Bosnia has protested, saying it would prevent large ships from entering Bosnia's only port in Neum, thus blocking Bosnia's access to the sea.