SLOVENIA PROPOSES "MARSHAL PLAN" FOR SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (November 18,2007) - Slovenia, which is to take-over the rotating EU presidency in January 2008, pressed ahead with plans to draw up a common EU position on the Balkans, Kosovo's daily Koha Ditore said.The paper quotes Borut Grgic, director of Ljubljana-based Institute for Strategic Studies, as saying that Slovenia will try to build a common policy on Bosnia,Macedonia,Kosovo and Serbia.

Grgic said the plan is likely to be similar with the U.S. Marshall Plan for Western Europe following the World War II, adding that now it's time to set up foundations of such plan, to secure the needed funds and resources, otherwise the crisis might deepen if the European Union continues with slow moves regarding the Southeastern Europe.

A prerequisite of all prerequisites is to resolve the Kosovo's status, and at the same time the problems in Bosnia and in Macedonia, because "Slovenia sees the Balkans as one package and the European Union shouldn't practice a partial approach.

This means Kosovo to become independent,Macedonia should be helped to overcome internal turmoil, Bosnia should be assisted to join the European Union through the new constitution and ending Bosnia’s internal divisions through elimination of its two entities,and Serbia should be also assisted to join the EU, Grgic said.

FOOD PRICES RISING IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 18,2007) - The biggest political crisis since the end of the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia has sent the cost of basic food items in Bosnia rocketing.

"The political crisis in Bosnia is fairly serious, however,it is fabricated and everything is connected to the issue of Kosovo, a member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic said earlier this week.

The Bosnian daily Dnevni Avaz said that, since the end of September, the price of butter has gone up by more than 65 percent.

According to the Bosnian Bureau of Statistics, the monthly cost of living in Bosnia for a family of four was 610 euros ($894) in October, including 302 euros ($486) for food alone. The average salary for the same month was 333 euros ($440), it said.

"The obvious nonfunctioning of Bosnian state institutions has poisoned the political atmosphere. Citizens cannot cope with corruption, poverty and chronic failure of state institutions to function," the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia,Miroslav Lajcak, said.

The country often falls into political crisis, but the recent one seems to be the most serious. It was sparked last month when Lajcak proposed new rules designed to strengthen the ability of the Bosnian Government and the Bosnian Parliament to enact reforms that will lead to Bosnian membership in the European Union.

The proposals will change the way a quorum is calculated, to make it more difficult for the political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia to block decisions simply by not showing up. The Bosnian Parliament has until Dec. 1 to adopt the changes or the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia will impose them.

Serbians living in Bosnia fear the changes could lead to the end of their genocidal creature in Bosnia ("RS"). Their political representatives said if Lajcak doesn't withdraw the proposal, they will all resign from their posts in the Bosnian Government.

Bosnian politicians and the political representatives of the Croatians living in Bosnia support the proposal since it is in line with their goal to erase the Bosnia's internal division and unify the country.

QATAR INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 18,2007) – The Ambassador of Qatar to Bosnia Kleefiekh Al-Hajri and the FBIH Entity Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic had a meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.They talked about the investment possibilities in Bosnia.

”This is a completely safe country for foreign investments. Federal Government intends to invest about 4 billion Bosnian Marks (3 billion USD) and thus send a message to foreign investors to freely invest into the Bosnian economy. Our laws are very liberal regarding the foreign investments”, Brankovic said.

The Ambassador of Qatar Al-Hajri said that the Qatar businessmen are very interested in investing in Bosnia, especially into the sector of tourism.

SEMINAR ON DECENTRALIZED COOPERATION HELD IN MOSTAR

MOSATR, Bosnia (November 18,2007) – The second Bosnian-French seminar devoted to decentralized cooperation was held in the southern Bosnian city of Mostar.The seminar was opened by Mostar Mayor, Ljubo Bešlić,who expressed his thanks to all participants of the seminar.

“Seminars like this one are opportunity that cooperation among municipalities is strengthened, as well as that some new projects are agreed upon”, Mayor Bešlić said.

The French Ambassador to Bosnia, Maryse Berniau declared for journalists that the seminar gathered representatives of cities from Bosnia which are partners to the cities from France.

The participants of the seminar defined a number of concrete projects,they worked on several subjects related to tourism and heritage as well as on the subjects regarding the civil protection.

Experts from France demonstrated on the occasion how is aid organized in France in the case of natural disasters, as well as how are problems solved when fires are in question.