BOSNIA'S POLITICIANS SIGN AGREEMENT TO IMPROVE ECONOMY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 17,2007) - Representatives of Bosnia's two political entities and the central government signed yesterday in Sarajevo a document aimed at improving the country's economy.

Signing the document titled Our Platform of Action, the chairman of Bosnian central government Nikola Spiric and the prime ministers of the two entities, as well as the mayor of the Brcko District, agreed to urgently commence activities on necessary economic reforms.

"We fully accept that urgent economic reforms cannot be put on hold until major political disputes have been resolved," said the politicians' platform initiated by the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia, Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak.

"Attracting investment, creating employment and raising living standards represent our most important and immediate challenges and we are committed to making economic growth one of our key objectives," read the document.

Bosnian officials, in accordance with the document, will have to work on improving fiscal coordination and stability by agreeing on revenue allocation, reviewing and streamlining social spending in order to improve their effectiveness, and reducing the public expenditure share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The platform also foresees a number of tasks to create a better business environment and promote other reforms ensuring sustainable development.