THE IGMAN INITIATIVE WILL HOLD SESSION WITH OR WITHOUT TADIC

BELGRADE, Serbia (November 4, 2007) – The Igman initiative will hold a session November 11 in Belgrade despite of the opinion of Serbian President Boris Tadic that the session should be postponed, Aleksandar Popov, the Igman Initiative’s Co President stated.

”This session will be held with or without the presence of the Serbian President Tadic. We now expect an official Tadic’s response so that we could complete the preparations for the meeting”, Popov stated and added that the Igman Initiative has not received an official Tadic’s response demanding postponement of the session.

Tadic stated that the Igman Initiative needs to be postponed because the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic recently "offended" the Serbian Prime Minister with his statement and that Serbia expects an apology for that action.

After the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica criticized the International Commnunity's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak’s measures ,aimed to ensure a more functional and efficient Bosnian Government, the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic told the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to “keep his hands off Bosnia because he could get burnt”.The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic also said that “we have not forgotten that Kostunica walked all over Bosnia carrying a machine gun in his hand."

”We have not forgotten that Kostunica walked all over Bosnia holding a machine gun. When such a person makes threats of problems in my own house 15 years after, all diplomatic communication will be of no use and unnecessary”,the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic said.

Aleksandar Popov stated that Croatian and Montenegro presidents Stjepan Mesic and Filip Vujanovic showed willingness to attend the session. The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic officially cancelled the arrival because of some other engagements.

”We were surprised by Tadic’s decision to cancel the session. The session can only be cancelled by the Igman Initiative management and we will hold the session despite of all. The session will treat a very important topic – normalization of relations – challenges and the new initiatives”, Popov said.

The Igman Initiative assembles over 100 NGOs from Bosnia,Croatia and Serbia, , advocating normalization of relations in the region.