NATO AND US TO FURTHER ASSIST BOSNIA ON ITS PATH TOWARDS FULL NATO MEMBERSHIP

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 12,2008) - Members of the Bosnian State Presidency Željko Komšić and Nebojša Radmanović,as well as Adnan Kapo, Adviser to the Cabinet of the Bosnian President Haris Silajdžić met yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, Commander of Allied Joint Force Command in Naples. Admiral was accompanied by General-major Richard Wightman, Commander of the NATO HQ in Bosnia,the Bosnian State Presidency said.

At the meeting, parties discussed Bosnia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, to which all political factors expressed their commitment and consent.

Radmanović emphasized, that in spite of a temporary deadlock, over the last period Bosnia has achieved a lot: signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union, intensified dialogue for full membership in the NATO, signed Agreement on addressing the issue of military movable and immovable property, thus creating the conditions for solving the issue of superfluous armament i.e. immovable property.

Members of the Bosnian State Presidency also underlined that the question of 1000 military facilities in the country and the change of their purpose is connected to the issue of the entire state property and added that those objects could be used for development of economic and other services.

The two parties also exchanged ideas about the function and future of the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR); NATO Headquarters in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in other words, the role of the International Community in Bosnia.

Admiral Fitzgerald expressed his thanks to the Members of the Bosnian State Presidency for their engagement in transparent change of command at the Bosnian Armed Forces, emphasizing the readiness of NATO and the US to further assist Bosnia on its path toward full NATO membership.
.

CARTERON: BOSNIA MADE SPECTACULAR PROGRESS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 11,2008) - The founder and chairman of the Crans Montana Forum (CMF) – Jean-Paul Carteron – said in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday that Bosnia has made spectacular progress in the previous period, especially in the area of foreign direct investments. He believes that FDI are the true barometer of progress by a transitional country.

Carteron held a presentation for foreign ambassadors and international representatives in Bosnia, of goals and expectations of this year’s CMF, which will be taking place in Sarajevo from October 7 and 10.

As he said, the goal of this year’s multi-dimensional meeting will be to get behind one table the most influential representatives of governments and business communities in the world and local politicians and entrepreneurs.

The Crans Montana Forum is an International Organization created in 1986 whose importance and prestige are well-established.

CMF works for the promotion of international cooperation and contributes to global growth while ensuring a high level of stability, equity and security. The aim is also to foster the best practices and ensure a global dialogue.

The first Crans Montana Forum was dedicated to the political and economic reconstruction of the post Cold War Europe. Since this first event, the Forum has continued to contribute and create meeting opportunities for its participants.
.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC MET WITH US AND NATO OFFICIALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic on met with the US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English and the NATO Sarajevo HQ Commander General Major Richard Wightman.

They discussed Bosnia's progress towards the NATO membership and underlined a need for concrete implementation of the Agreement on Basic Regulative Principles for immobile and mobile military assets, signed on July 12 2007 in order to achieve necessary progress before the upcoming Summit of NATO in Bucharest,Romania.

This meeting was also attended by the Commander of the Bosnian Armed Forces General Sifet Podzic.

FURTHER REFORM OF BOSNIAN MILITARY NEEDED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 25,2008) – Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric, met in the Bosnian capial Sarajevo with the US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English and the Head of NATO’s Sarajevo Headquarters, General Richard Wightman.

They agreed that further reform of the Bosnian military is needed, so that Bosnia could progress on her path to the NATO membership.

With that in mind, the agreement on the principles of regulating military property issues, signed on July 12, 2007, needs to be enforced, so that certain progress is made before the NATO Summit in Bucharest this year.