CZECH DIPLOMAT IVAN BUSNIAK TAKES UP POSITION AS HEAD OF OHR IN BANJA LUKA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 4,2007) – Czech diplomat,Ivan Bušniak,took up the post of the international community's deputy high representative and head of the office of the international community's high representative in Bosnia (OHR) in Banja Luka yesterday.

Ivan Bušniak is an experienced diplomat who has held both ambassadorial and advisory posts.He has served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Czech Prime Minister. With the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs he served as Director of both the Eastern and Western Europe Departments, Director of Department for Africa, and Director General of the Euro-Atlantic Section.

Between 1995 and 2000 Ivan Bušniak was the Czech Ambassador to Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro) and Macedonia.

Ivan Bušniak is fluent in Bosnian,Croatian,Serbian,English,Russian and French. He is married with two children.

The international community's high representative in Bosnia,Miroslav Lajčák has also appointed Anatoly Viktorov, the Head of Regional Office of High Representative in Mostar, as Deputy High Representative, as of September 1, 2007. Mr. Viktorov has been Head of OHR South (Mostar) since July 2004.