FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH OF FIRST BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC TO BE MARKED TODAY IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 19,2007) – On the occasion of marking the 4th anniversary of death of the first Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, an exhibition will be opened today at the Kovaci cemetery entitled “President Alija Izetbegovic”.

The Bosnian Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic will open the exhibition together with the SDA Party President Sulejman Tihic and President of the Exhibition Council Denis Zvizdic.

An academy will be held at the Bosnian National Theatre on that same occasion.A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic will attend.

The Kapi-kule Ploca and Sirokac are tied together with city walls.They symbolize the city’s defense and the defense of multiethnic and democratic Bosnia.

Exhibition containing information and artifacts from the late Bosnian President’s personal and political life are situated in the Ploca tower. The Sirokac tower contains information and artifacts about the historic re-establishment of the Bosnian Army's position in the Bosnian society.

Some of the artifacts are a testimony of the time of defense of Bosnia and the highest civilization values.

Many awards the Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic had received during his lifetime will be displayed as well.

This year’s manifestation marking the anniversary of the death of the first Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic is organized under slogan “Let’s Write History with Truth”.

MEETING ON RETURN HELD IN MOSTAR

MOSTAR, Bosnia (October 19,2007) – Meeting of the Union of Associations of Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Returnees; the Association of Displaced Persons of Mostar City “My Home”; and representatives of returnees to Mostar, was held yesterday in Mostar.

On the occasion problem regarding the return to Mostar was the topic of the meeting as well as reconstruction of buildings in the central part of the city.

Although little has been done on reconstruction of the devastated buildings in the central part of Mostar, the chairwoman of the Union of Associations of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Bosnia, Mirhunisa Zukić, declared for journalists that they are encouraged by the fact that Bosnian state allocated 300, 000 Bosnian Marks for reconstruction of housing structures in Mostar, as well as that FBiH Entity Government will until 2009 allocate 5.4 million Bosnian Marks for the same purpose, Mrs Zukić said.

She pointed out that the Union forwarded to the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) in Geneva photos of the devastated housing structures in Mostar, asking for them to be included into the report of the Contact Group Countries G8, so that these countries would support them.

President of the Association of Displaced Persons of Mostar City “My Home”, Muradif Kurtović, expressed his skepticism about the promises on the beginning of reconstruction of the remaining housing units in the central zone of Mostar, because so far all promises have been broken.

He pointed out that returnees to Mostar are mostly bothered with the failure of their criterion and proposals regarding the priorities for reconstructions to be respected.

He added that in the central zone of Mostar there are another 110 housing units which have not been reconstructed yet.

US AMBASSADOR CHARLES ENGLISH: POLICE REFORM IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE INABILITY OF BOSNIA'S POLITICIANS TO COMPROMISE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 19,2007) – The failure of police reform and the message Bosnia's political leaders have sent in terms of their commitment to the process of European integration are disturbing for the US, US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English said in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo at his first press conference since taking this position.

He said that police reform has become an example of the inability of Bosnia's leaders to reach a consensus for the general good and to work in the interest of all Bosnian citizens.

Ambassador English confirmed that the international community will in the coming days and weeks consider what repercussions could result from the failure of police reform.

He refused to say more on this matter, but expressed full support of the US for the work of the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak “who has the authority to work on resolving the situation in Bosnia”.

The US Ambassador to Bosnia warned that Bosnia's road towards the EU is now blocked, that the country is lagging behind its neighbours and that this is how isolation begins. He therefore called on Bosnia's politicians to act immediately while they can still catch pace with the neighbours.

“As time passes there will be fewer opportunities for progress and the new generation of BiH citizens will have an increasingly negative perspective”, the US Ambassador said.

He said that the failure of police reform and the lack of progress on many other key reforms, including reform of the defence sector, judiciary and economic reform lead to a conclusion that the promises given by Bosnia's political leaders to voters were not serious.

He said that while one side refused to recognise that economic development and prosperity require an efficient and functional state, the other rejected to accept the fact that changes, especially to the Bosnian Constitution, require a compromise.

Both sides relied on nationalistic rhetoric and political posturing in building a dangerous illusion – that they can build a future for the voters without taking into account the aspirations and worries of others. Both sides need to understand that this will never succeed, Ambassador English said.

He concluded that the United States remain committed to the work on the implementation of key reforms in Bosnia and that the U.S. will work on this with Bosnia's politicians who look ahead and have the courage to work together and compromise.

EC EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH EFFORTS OF BOSNIA ON ENSURING FISCAL COORDIANTION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 19,2007) – The Bosnian state officials and the European Commission (EC) representaatives held a meeting in Sarajevo . The meeting discussed the establishment of a fiscal council at the Bosnian state level, the adoption of the state law on the fiscal council, the allocation of revenues from the single account and the Bosnian economic-fiscal program.

The Bosnian Deputy Finance Minister Fuad Kasumovic told journalists after the meeting that the meeting received the support of practically all political options in Bosnia, and that the representatives of the European Commission expressed satisfaction with efforts of Bosnia on ensuring fiscal coordination.

“The law on the fiscal council is in the form of a draft and we hope that the Bosnian government will consider it at one of its next sessions. We have the support of all sides for this law. The council will be consisted of the three prime ministers and three ministers of finance who will perform many of the duties that the Bosnian Indirect Taxation Authority is now performing. We today achieved 90-percent agreement that we will be able to resolve in the coming months the issue of the allocation of revenues from the single account for a mid-term period “, Kasumovic said.

He added that Bosnia is prepared to present an insight to Brussels by December 1 its economic-fiscal program for next year.

Head of the Bosnian Directorate for European Integration Osman Topcagic said that this economic-fiscal program will be further discussed at the next dialogue between the European Commission and Bosnia in spring next year.

Head of the Department with the European Commission’s General Directorate for Economic and Financial Affairs Peter Grasman said that the European Commission is interested in fiscal coordination in Bosnia and that it will constantly monitor progress in this field and be in constant contact with the Bosnian authorities.

“All participants in the today’s meeting have agreed that fiscal coordination in Bosnia needs to be strengthened and this will certainly lead to the strengthening of the fiscal council”, Grasman said.

BOSNIAN STATE DELEGATION TO MEET WITH WORLD BANK AND THE MMF OFFICIALS

WASHINGTON, USA (October 19,2007) – Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric is leading the Bosnian delegation in a visit to the United States.

The delegation will participate at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.

The Bosnian Deputy Minister of Finances and the Bosnian Governor at the MMF Dragan Vrankic is in the delegation.

Spiric and Vrankic will discuss with the MMF officials the 4-year partnership strategy between Bosnia and MMF.

BOSNIA DEMANDS FROM CROATIA NOT TO TAKE ANY FURTHER STEPS RELEATED TO CONSTRUCTION OF PELJESAC BRIDGE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 19,2007) – The Bosnian Presidency ordered at the session yesterday that the Bosnian Minister of Foreign Affairs once again repeats Bosnia's attitudes related to the construction of the Land – Peljesac bridge to the Croatian Ambassador to Bosnia.

Bosnia opposes the construction of the bridge until the open issues related to it are solved, including the identification of the sea border between the two countries.

The Bosnian Presidency announced that the Minister of Foreign Affairs demands from Croatia not to take any further steps related to the unilateral construction of the bridge.