NATO HEADQUARTERS IN BOSNIA ORGANISED ROUNDTABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 19,2007) – The NATO HQ in Bosnia has organised a roundtable in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo for students and youth representatives of non-governmental organisations on the theme : Bosnia on the Road to Euro-Atlantic Integrations – Results and Obstacles.

This is the third such event to be organised following similar events organised by NATO in Zenica and Tuzla with the aim of holding discussion with young people. Further roundtables will be organised in Banja Luka, Bihac and Mostar, while the final one will be held at Vlasic.

NATO HQ Commander General Richard Wightman said in his opening remarks that young people represent the hope of Bosnia

Wightman said that he held many talks with Bosnia's politicians, but that he is amazed by the fact that young people in Bosnia wish to move forward, to be a part of Europe, and that want this to happen now.

He repeated that one of the tasks of the NATO HQ in Bosnia is to help in the arrest of war criminals, four of which are still at large. He said that this is now a political issue and expects politicians in Bosnia, as well as in the neighbouring countries to resolve it, while NATO will also continue to work on it.

NATO spokesperson Derek Chapell said that NATO representatives did not come to the roundtable to promote the Alliance, but to allow young people in Bosnia a chance for dialogue and to give them a voice in the political process.

He stressed that NATO is an alliance of democratic countries which share same values and which functions on the principle of consensus.

NATO membership is not connected to military issues only. Chapell reminded of experiences of countries that have joined NATO during the previous years. International investors now think that those countries are safe for investment and new members have seen great economic benefit.