SOLANA RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT POLITICAL TENSIONS IN BOSNIA

BRUSSELS, Belgium (November 20.2007) - The EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Javier Solana expressed concern yesterday about growing political tensions in Bosnia, following the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Spiric.

"I am very concerned at the deterioration of the political climate in Bosnia ," Solana told EU defence ministers during talks in Brussels yesterday.

"Current difficulties include the rhetoric of some political leaders, delays in the reform process, problems with the functioning of the Bosnian state institutions,Spiric's resignation and delays in implementing the EU reform agenda," Solana said.

Solana urged the European Union to "maintain a consistent line that reminds the political leadership in Bosnia of their obligations to uphold the constitutional order."

"Police reform is a key conditions for moving on," he said, according to an extract of his remarks provided by his office.

Portugal, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, underlined that the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) would stay on in Bosnia as long as needed.

"The situation is stable. There are no concerns about security but the political situation in Bosnia deserves our attention," said the Portuguese Defence Minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira.

"The European Union must maintain its military presence in Bosnia as long as necessary for the stability of the region," Teixeira told reporters after the meeting.

CONFERENCE "ISLAM IN BOSNIA AND GERMANY" STARTED IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20.2007) - Islam as practiced in Bosnia may be a good example for Islam in the rest of Europe, a conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo heard yesterday.

The two-day conference, Islam in Bosnia and Germany - Exchange Of Experiences And Cooperation Possibilities, was organized by Germany's Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Faculty of Islamic Theology from Sarajevo.

The conference gathered more than 30 representatives of theology faculties from Bosnia and Germany.One of the goals of the conference, as Bosnian media quoted a member of the German Bundestag, Lale Akgun of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), is to use the experiences of Sarajevo's Faculty of Islamic Theology in educating imams in Germany.

"Germany, with some 3.5 million Muslims, needs imams educated in the spirit of advanced Islam," Akgun said.

"We know that the experiences here are very good and based on good scientific knowledge. Those experiences are very important and we in the rest of Europe can learn something from them," Akgun said.

The German Ambassador to Bosnia, Michael Schmunk, said that Islam as practiced in Bosnia could be a good Bosnian export.

"Islam in the Bosnian way,would fit very well into current social relations in the rest of Europe," the German Ambassador to Bosnia Michael Schmunk said.

BOSNIAN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY URGES BOSNIAN MUSLIMS IN SANDZAK AND SERBIA TO PRESERVE PEACE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20.2007) – The Bosnian Islamic Community Assembly held a session in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. Declaration was adopted emphasizing that the Dayton Agreement fulfilled the most important goal – it had stopped the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

Internal territorial organization of Bosnia must not be based upon religious or ethnic domination. It should exclusively be based upon equality of all Bosnian citizens with a full respect of the natural, economic, infrastructural and other characteristics of Bosnia, the Declaration states.

The Bosnian Islamic Community Assembly is of the opinion that all political representatives’ opinions, both domestic and international should be taken into consideration, in relation to the Bosnian Constitution.

The Assembly will, through its organs and institutions, continue asking for implementation of the conclusions made, the Bosnian Islamic Community Assembly announced.

The newest political situation within the Bosnian Islamic Community was also discussed, especially the situation in Sandzak.The Bosnian Islamic Community Assembly urged the Bosnian Muslims in Sandzak and Serbia, to preserve peace in the spirit of Islam.

LAJCAK MET WITH SLOVAKIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (November 20.2007) - The International Community's High Representative and the EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak met in Bratislava with the Slovakian Foreign Affairs Minister Ján Kubis, the Office of the International Community's High Representative (OHR) announced.

Lajcak and Kubis talked about the current political situation in Bosnia and concluded that the EU membership to the EU is the key strategic goal of Bosnia.

The Slovakian Foreign Affairs Minister Kubis expressed hope that Bosnia's leaders will fulfil their recent promises and make sure that Bosnia initials the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.

Kubis once again fully supported the International community's High Representative in Bosnia and his decisions passed for the purpose of strengthening the functionality of the Bosnian Government.

The Slovakian Foreign Affairs Minister urged the Bosnia's political leaders to fulfil their obligations and implement Lajcak’s decisions, the OHR announced.

OSCE URGES BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT UN CONVENTION OF RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20.2007) - This week the OSCE Mission in Bosnia will mark the 18th anniversary of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on 20 November 1989. Bosnia ratified the Convention in 1992, which made its provisions legally-binding for the country.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child made several conclusions when considering Bosnia’s report on the implementation of UNCRC obligations. These included concerns over the administration of juvenile justice, especially the stigmatization of children in conflict with the law; the lack of alternative measures to detention; rehabilitation for such children; and inadequate access to education for persons under 18 years held in detention.

The Strategy against Juvenile Offending in Bosnia (2006-2010) and its Programme of Action, adopted by the Bosnian government in July 2006, could address many of these concerns.

The OSCE Mission thus urged the Bosnian authorities, such as the Bosnian Ministry of Security and the Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, to promptly: (1) Publish the Strategy in the Official Gazette; (2) Set up a working group to elaborate the draft law on juvenile justice; and (3) Establish the Co-ordination Body that will work with the government to implement the Strategy.

For its part, during the anniversary week, the OSCE Mission will support training events for Centres for Social Welfare staff on the rights of the child and international child protection standards in the administration of juvenile justice.

EUFOR TROOPS SEARCHED HOME OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC'S AID

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20.2007) - The European Union Force (EUFOR) troops have searched yesterday the premises of a Serbian living in Bosnia that is suspected of helping Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic.

The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) requested that the home of Serbian war criminal's aid Dragan Sojic be searched.The action lasted from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Nobody was arrested.

"It is believed that Dragan Sojic is associated with the Radovan Karadzic support network,'' a statement from the EUFOR stated.

EUFOR troops hoped to find material or information to help the tribunal in the search for Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic.EUFOR did not cite any further details on the operation.

Former leader of the Serbians living in Bosnia,Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic is charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war,committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia,the worst crimes known to humanity and the worst crimes committed in Europe since World War II. And, after 12 years, he is still at large.

CROATIA'S PRESIDENT MESIC COULD BE THE NEXT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S HIGH REPRESENTATIVE IN BOSNIA

ZAGREB, Croatia (November 20,2007) - Croatia's President Stjepan Mesić could be the next international High Representative in Bosnia.

He confirmed the rumors yesterday, saying that after his second term as Croatia's President is over, he would "happily accept the job", under the conditions that he “remains healthy and that all parties in Bosnia agree.”

Mesić’s term as the President of Croatia expires in 2010.

Mesić is a politician with a lot of international respect and very well informed regarding the political situation in Bosnia.