SPIRIC ADDRESSED UN SECURITY COUNCIL WITHOUT PERMISSION OF BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY

NEW YORK, USA (November 17,2007) – Bosnia's Prime Minister in resignation Nikola Spiric addressed the UN Security Council in New York even though the did not have the permission of the Bosnian Presidency, the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic told journalists in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

President Komsic said that according to information available to him, the Russian Ambassador to the UN allowed Spiric to address the closed session of the UN Security Council.

President Komsic reminded that the Bosnian Presidency requested Spiric before his departure to New York that a platform be adopted by the Bosnian Presidency, i.e. that it be approved by the institution which is under the Bosnian Constitution responsible for conducting foreign policy,but Spiric refused and addressed UN Security Council illegally.

"Bosnia is the only country in the Southeastern Europe that has still not signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and we need to do all in our power, both the domestic officials and the international community, which is not a mere observer in Bosnia, but also a participant, to ensure that this is done as soon as possible," Spiric said before the UN Security Council in New York.

Spiric said that it is difficult to talk about the current political situation in the region because they are complex and complicated and require an active approach of all well intentioned factors.

“We in Bosnia are monitoring developments with due attention. I know that the UN Security Council will soon consider the decision on extending the mandate of the European Union's force in Bosnia (EUFOR). I am aware that I cannot influence your decision, but I wish to use this opportunity to urge you to adopt a decision on extending the mandate of EUFOR. They have done many good things in Bosnia I wish to use this occasion to thank them for that. In addition to that, all stabilising factors in a country such as Bosnia are welcome”, Spiric said.

“The lack of willingness for positive promotion is a chronic problem of Bosnia. It sometime appears as if the media and the public prefer exploiting negative things and I think that all of us together need to much more on this matter. I fear that many remain deaf to my appeals for a greater dose of patriotism”, Spiric said.

“The existing Bosnian Constitution is certainly not perfect, but it is the only one we have and we need to respect it until it is changed. I fear that the situation will slip out of control if we allow spirits to escape out of the framework of the Dayton Agreement and the Bosnian Constitution, and it seems to me that the High Representative’s decision from November 19 is on the line of silent changes of the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board has in the communiqué from its last session left room for certain corrections of that decision. I call on you that well all together encourage and support the High Representative in making those corrections so that passions can be calmed and so that we can all dedicate our full attention to reform challenges ahead of Bosnia. It is difficult to assess at this time how will things unfold in Bosnia following that decision”, Spiric said.

However,the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia recently stated that it is a paradox that Spiric is against OHR's measures aimed at the strengthening of the functionality of the Bosnian State Government,headed by Spiric himself.

Lajcak said it is a paradox that "the Chairman of the Bosnian Council of Ministers (Spiric) should resign over measures that are designed to make the Council, the body that he chairs, more efficient".