BOSNIANS CELEBRATED 25TH OF NOVEMBER,BOSNIAN NATIONAL DAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – The Bosnian Associations of WWII Veterans (SABNOR) organised a formal academy in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to celebrate the 25th of November,the Bosnian National Day,and the 64 anniversary of the Bosnian State Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation (ZAVNOBiH).

ZAVNOBIH (Bosnian: Zemaljsko Antifašističko Vijeće Narodnog Oslobođenja Bosne i Hercegovine) was formed in November 1943.

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdžić and a delegation of the city of Sarajevo yesterday laid flowers at appropriate monuments.

The FBIH Entity Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic congratulated the 25th of November,the Bosnian National Day to all Bosnian citizens.

”This day has symbolized wish and will of all the peoples of Bosnia for the country to be sovereign, since November 25 1943. Today, 64 years after that event, we all have the responsibility of preserving those qualities and together build a better and a happier future”, Brankovic said.

He expressed a wish that “marking of this holiday strengthens the conviction that there is no other way to the formation of the Bosnian democracy in which every individual will enjoy all the benefits of the human and civic rights”.

BRITISH QUEEN CONGRATULATED BOSNIAN NATIONAL DAY TO BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – Her Royal Highness the British Queen Elisabeth the Second congratulated the 25th of November,the Bosnian National Day,to the Bosnian Presidency members.

”It is my pleasure to congratulate the Bosnian National Day to your Excellencies. It is my wish that the people of Bosnia prosper in 2008”, Queen Elisabeht the Second said.

INITIATIVE LAUNCHED FOR ICTY ARCHIVE TO BE LOCATED IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) - Sarajevo Mayor Semiha Borovac has launched an initiative for the ICTY archive to be located in Bosnia.

Borovac informed the Advisory Commission for Archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) members Eric Ketelaar and Cécile Aptel about this initiative.

Borovac said that this initiative has been also forwarded to the Bosnian Presidency, which is expected to support it on behalf of the state.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBERS MET WITH DELEGATION OF ICTY ADVISORY COMMISSION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) - The Bosnian Presidency member Haris Silajdzic and Nebojsa Radmanovic, together with Head of the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic’s Cabinet Amir Ibrovic, met in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with a delegation of the Advisory Commission for Archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The delegation of the ICTY Advisory Commission for Archives stressed that the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda should complete their work by 2010 and that the reason why the Advisory Commission has been established was to find a solution for archiving ICTY documents.

The ICTY has a vast archive and it will be needed even after 2010 by the domestic judiciary and other judicial structures in the world. Furthermore, its role is to serve history and reconciliation after everything that has happened.

Head of BiH the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic’s Cabinet Amir Ibrovic informed the delegation about the position of the Bosnian President that the entire ICTY archive needs to be transferred to Bosnia, both for ethical and practical reasons.

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic said that the visit by the ICTY delegation is important because besides carrying an important judicial role the archives also carry another important role, namely truth.

He said that Sarajevo is the natural place for archiving ICTY document and that there will be many opportunities to make the archives available to judicial structures. Silajdzic said that for the purpose of truth, as well as researching history, the archive should be in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic thinks that a large responsibility rests with the Advisory Commission because the archive is of different origin and he thinks that expert persons from the Court and the Commission will reach the final decision.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC MET WITH PRESIDENTS OF CROATIA, MONTENEGRO AND MACEDONIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic met in Dubrovnik,Croatia,with the Presidents of Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic and the Croatian President Stjepan Mesic think that the time has come when the new Governments in Croatia and Bosnia need to approach the resolution of outstanding issues that burden relations between the two countries, including ending the work on defining the border, reaching and agreement of property-legal relations, Port Ploce, common traffic infrastructure and other issues.

Mesic reiterated the determination of Croatia as a guarantor of the Dayton Agreement to fight for the territorial integrity and independence of Bosnia.He criticised attempts at destabilising the situation in Bosnia and expressed confidence that the current political crisis will soon be ended.

The President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic expressed satisfaction with the high level of relations between Bosnia and Montenegro.He said that there is full agreement between the two countries at the political levels and that there are no outstanding issues.

Vujanovic repeated that the connection between Montenegro and Bosnia by road infrastructures and the use of Port Bar by Bosnia are becoming one of the priorities of his country.

The Montenegrin President informed the Bosnian President about how he sees the development of his country in the upcoming period and on the road to Europe.

President Komsic stressed the interest of Bosnia in strengthening overall relations with Montenegro.He underlined the interest of Bosnia's railways in building a railway from Capljina to Niksic, which would accelerate the flow of goods to Port Bar.

The Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski said during talks with the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic that bilateral agreements that are already in procedure need to be accelerated.

He said that there are still no real steps towards expanding economic cooperation and that the two friendly countries have no outstanding issues in their relations.

He underlined the need for intensive dialogue with Bosnia and countries and the region and invited President Komsic to visit Macedonia.

The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic, together with the Presidents of Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia, took part in the Southeastern European Economic Forum in Dubrovnik,Croatia.

PODZIC AND ENGLISH DISCUSSED DEFENCE REFORM IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – The Commander of the Bosnian Army Colonel General Sifet Podzic met with the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

They discussed the process of defence reform in Bosnia.

Ambassador English expressed strong support of the United States for the Bosnian Army and Bosnia's road towards joining Euro-Atlantic structures and NATO.

He also offered the continuation of assistance for the Bosnian Army on fulfilling obligations it has accepted as a member of the Partnership for Peace and for the rapid achievement of standards that will move the Bosnian Army closer to NATO.

Podzic thanked the U.S. Government and U.S. Army for the assistance provided so far and stressed that the activities of the Bosnian Army in the upcoming period need to be directed towards further reforms and that all assistance on the road towards achieving NATO standards is welcome.

BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR RAISED INDICMENT AGAINST SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS RATKO BUNDALO,NEDJO ZELJAJA AND DJORDJISLAV ASKRABA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – The Bosnian State Prosecutor has filed an indictment against Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba, who are suspected to have committed crimes against humanity in Kalinovik municipality during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The indictment has been forwarded to the Bosnian State Court for confirmation.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers that, from April 1992 to March 1993,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia,Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba took part "in a joint criminal enterprise and planned, initiated, abetted and assisted in the deportation" of Bosnian civilians from the Kalinovik area by "committing murders, torture, detention, rape, forcible disappearance and arbitrary mass destruction of property".

The indictment alleges that, at the time the crimes were committed,Serbian war criminals were members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) while Serbian war criminal Djordjislav Askraba supervised the "Barutni magacin" concentration camp, in which 85 Bosnian civilians were detained by the genocidal Serbian aggressor. Only two of them survived.

The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested Zeljaja on August 28 this year. Askraba was arrested on August 29, while Bundalo was arrested two days later.

BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR RAISED INDICTMENT AGAINST SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS MIRKO PEKEZ, MILORAD SAVIC AND MIRKO PEKEZ

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 26,2007) – The Bosnian State Prosecutor raised indictment against Serbian war criminals Mirko (Spiro) Pekez (1966), Milorad (Ljupko) Savic (1970) and Mirko (Mile) Pekez (1965).

The indictment, which has been submitted to the Bosnian State Court for confirmation, charges Serbian war criminals Mirko Pekez,Milorad Savic and Mirko Pekez with having committed war crimes against Bosnian civilians in the Bosnian town of Jajce in 1992.

They have been indicted of murdering 23 Bosnian civilians and causing injuries to 4 Bosnian civilians,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested the three Serbian war criminals on October 30. Two days later, a two-month custody was ordered for them.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers that three more Serbian war criminals are responsible for these crimes. A warrant has been issued to arrest them.