BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC: BOSNIA WILL NOT BE A HOSTAGE OF ITS NEIGHBOURS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 9,2007) - The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic stated at a press conference in Sarajevo that the political situation in Bosnia is very complicated in the aspect of police reform which is a precondition for signing the Stabilisation and association Agreement between Bosnia and the European Union.

President Komsic is of the opinion that the ruling parliamentary majority faces many problems related to some concrete issues, like the police reform or the law on fiscal council.

A special problem is the fact that solving the Kosovo issue affects the situation in Bosnia, that is, certain factors in Bosnia (serbians living in Bosnia) are working in accordance with the agreements they have been making with Serbia for the purpose of strengthening its position in the Kosovo negotiations.

”That will not happen at any cost! This country will not be a hostage of neighbours,” the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic said.

Commenting the Siljadzic-Dodik police reform agreement, Komsic said that they may thing they have done a good job, but Brussels is the body authorized to say and has said that it is not enough.

”We cannot choose what is enough for them. That circle has its own rules and we do not create them”, he said.

Komsic,who recently visited New York at the UN General Assembly session,said that Bosnia is not the main focus of the world anymore. He added that the impression is that Bosnia has a lot of friends in the world but that the statesmen are not motivated by the bad news coming from Bosnia.

He emphasized that the UN “will not understand you well if you use the institution to solve some interior issues”.

”That does not interest them. The world does not revolve around Bosnia. If you use the position to solve Bosnia's issues, you will not be welcome”, he emphasized.

Commenting the suspension of two Bosnian Ambassadors – to Vienna and Brussels (Darija Krsticevic and Lidija Topic), Komsic said he knew what usually goes on when the HDZ BIH Party personnel should leave their positions.

He said that the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or someone else cannot enter the constitutional jurisdiction of the Bosnian Presidency, especially keeping in mind that the decision was passed unanimously.

He emphasized that the Bosnian Ambassador to Austria,Darija Krsticevic, made a serious mistake when she did not inform him and the other two Bosnian Presidency members on the recent events that took place in Vienna that involved two Bosnian citizens.

This practice of not informing the Bosnian Presidency members has been seen previously, Komsic warned and added that one such example occurred during leader of recent visit to Vatican of leader of the Serbians living in Bosnia,Milorad Dodik.

”Nobody informed the Bosnian Presidency in any way. What kind of professionalism is that? That is not how things are going to develop while I am around. The Bosnian Ambassadors will do their job accordingly”, he said.

He also emphasized that he does not want to be concerned with the issue of whether or not the Bosnian Ambassadors are informing someone else as long as they inform the Bosnian Presidency.

The newly-appointed Bosnian Ambassadors to Vienna and Brussels Jadranka Negodic and Tomislav Limov are the persons who will do a quality job and Komsic fully believes them.

”It is time for the Bosnian Presidency to regain its dignity. The ambassadors should realize that they cannot behave as though nothing has been told to them”, he said.

Komsic said that media is the only source of information for the Bosnian Presidency about the Vienna event. He added that it is obvious that it is a person who had been misused for no detonator was found in the explosives.

Komsic responsibly claims that there is no organized terrorist organization in Bosnia but that there may be some deranged individuals like anywhere else in the world.

”There is no 'Islamic or Christian threat' coming from Bosnia. That is a well-thought of propaganda aimed to make Bosnia seem like a dangerous country. I will fight against it with all means available. I will not let anyone manipulate Bosnia”, he said.

Komsic initiated the Croatian parties’ talks several months ago. He wanted the topic of the Bosnian constitutional changes discussed. “However, they decided that they did not need me”.

He added that the Kresevo declaration is wise and that there is nothing in the text that can be considered problematic. Reading between the lines is hypothetical.

According to him, the Kresevo declaration offers three ways out – strengthening of Bosnia. However, it is only a tactic move which helps buy the time and is used for the elections campaign in Croatia.

”Once real talks begin, all their differences and various interpretations will come to light”, Komsic said.

The Bosnian Presidency Chairman said that all the issues between Bosnia and Croatia will be solved once the elections in Croatia are over.

He added that nobody considers a problem the fact that Croatia wants to build the Land – Peljesac bridge, but that it is important for Bosnia to define its naval borders, including the top of the Klek peninsula and the islands of Mali and Veliki Skolj.

The Split Naval Institute proposed that the islands are a part of Bosnian territory and that the naval border should be in line with the top of the peninsula. In that case, the Bosnian border would be under the bridge.

”That should not be considered a problem. Construction plan for the bridge has not been developed in Croatia. Some information state that nobody knows the exact cost of the construction. That is their problem, however. This is the pre-elections time in Croatia and that is one of the key issues for the country”, he said.

He added that the property issues should be solved with Croatia. Bosnia property in Croatia is three times more worth than Croatian property in Bosnia. The total sum is 1,5 billion USD.

In the end, Komsic reacted to objections that he should advocate the attitudes on his party at the Bosnian Presidency. He said that this is the time when he should act more as a Bosnian Presidency Chairman and less an a member of the SDP party, which he loves and would never leave it.