SDA TO SUPPORT NIKOLA SPIRIC'S NOMINATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – “Apart from certain displeasure with the work of Bosnia's Prime Minister in resignation Nikola Spiric, especially at the time of the technical mandate, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) will support his nomination to the same position if that is the attitude of his party, namely, SNSD party. There is no other alternative”, Sulejman Tihic, SDA Party President told Bosnian media.

Answering the question when the conditions for signing of the Stabilisation and Association agreement between Bosnia and the European Union can be fulfilled, especially the conditions related to police reform, Tihic said that the job can be completed in a month.

He emphasized that it is up to the Bosnian Council of Ministers and the Bosnian Ministry of Security to turn the Police Implementation Action Plan into laws, including the formation of direction for police coordination at the state level, and formation of the independent board, support agency, police academy and institute for forensic sciences.

However, he warned that some differences arose during the latest negotiations related to the independent board, academy, coordination direction jurisdiction; that is the role of state and the entities in the process.

PEACE IMPLEMENTATION COUNCIL WELCOMED INITIALLING OF SAA BETWEEN BOSNIA AND EU

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – At its meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at Ambassador level welcomed the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the European Union.

The 4 December initialling by the EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Bosnia's Prime Minister Spiric is an important step forward. It provides an opportunity to accelerate progress in the Stabilisation and Association process,the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council said.

The Steering Board Ambassadors welcomed the spirit of compromise and unity demonstrated by Bosnia’s political leaders.

The Steering Board Ambassadors also welcomed the reconfirmation of commitment to Bosnia displayed by the European Union and specifically the personal engagement of Commissioner Rehn and Secretary General/High Representative Javier Solana.

The Steering Board Ambassadors expressed their particular gratitude to the International community's High Representative/EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak for his guidance and perseverance in helping Bosnia's political leaders to fulfil the conditions for initialling the agreement.

The Steering Board Ambassadors are confident that the Bosnian authorities will pursue this positive agenda and fulfil the conditions for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union as soon as possible,the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council said.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT CONFIRMS INDICTMENTS FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED BY GENOCIDAL SERBIAN AGGRESSOR IN JAJCE AND KALINOVIK

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – Last week, the Bosnian State Court confirmed the indictments for war crimes committed by the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers in the Bosnian towns of Jajce and Kalinovik. According to the official timetable, plea hearings in these two cases have been scheduled for next week.

Serbian war criminals Mirko (Spiro) Pekez, Mirko (Mile) Pekez and Milorad Savic are charged with having murdered 23 Bosnian civilians in Jajce area during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. They are due to appear before the Bosnian State Court on Tuesday, December 11.

Two days later, a plea hearing is due in the case of Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba, former members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), charged with having committed crimes in Kalinovik.

Next week, on December 10, 11 and 12, the trial of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic is due to continue. Trbic, former member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), is charged with genocide committed against Bosnians from the Srebrenica region in July 1995,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

On Monday, December 10, ten Defence witnesses are due to appear before the Bosnian State Court at the trial of Serbian war criminal Zejko Lelek, who is charged with having committed the murder, imprisonment and rape of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad. Two court experts are due to appear at the trial of Serbian war criminals Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic, whom the prosecution considers responsible for murdering a group of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac in 1992.

At the trial of Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic, which is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court today and on Wednesday, new Prosecution witnesses will be examined. Four former members of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations are charged with having committed murder and rape and with having forced the Bosnian civilians detained in the Vojno concentration camp to perform hard labour in 1993,during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia.

On Tuesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 12, the trial continues in the case of former assistant commander of "Hamze" Battalion with the 505th Buzim Brigade of the Fifth Corps of the Bosnian Army Sefik Alic. The Prosecution considers him responsible for having failed to investigate and punish the perpetrators of the murder of four genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers who were captured by the Bosnian Army during the "Oluja" military operation.

On the same days, the defence is due to begin presenting evidence at the trial of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic, who are charged with having committed crimes in the northern Bosnian town of Prijedor during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. At the two hearings before the bosnian State court, the Defence is expected to present its introductory arguments and evidence presentation plan.

According to the official timetable of the Bosnian State Court, on Tuesday, December 11 Serbian war criminal Mitar Rasevic is due to testify as a Defence witness at his own trial. Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic are charged with having committed crime against humanity in the eastern Bosnian town of Foca.

Two days later, the Defence is due to start presenting its evidence before the Bosnian state Court at the trial of Serbian war criminals Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic, who are charged with having murdered Bosnian civilians detained in the school building in the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac in 1995,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The trial of 11 Serbian war criminals charged with genocide committed in Kravica village near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995 is due to continue on December 12 and 13.

On December 13, the Prosecution will examine two more witnesses at the trial of former member of the Bosnian Army Zijad Kurtovic, who is charged with having committed crimes against Croatians living in Bosnia in 1993. On the same day, the Defence will continue presenting its evidence at the trial of Croatian war criminal Zdravko Mihaljevic,former member of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations charged with having murdered Bosnian civilians in Tulice village near the Bosnian town of Kiseljak during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's.

On Friday, December 14, the trials are due to continue in the case of Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic, former member of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations charged with having committed crimes in the Bosnian towns of Busovaca and Vitez, and the brothers Serbian war criminals Rajko and Ranko Vukovic, whom the Bosnian State Prosecutor charges with having committed crimes in yhe eastern Bosnian town of Foca during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

TOPCAGIC: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED IN BOSNIA AFTER INITIALLING OF SAA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – Dirk Lange, Head of the EU General Direction for Expansion, in charge of Bosnia, stated in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that all the Southeastern European countries now have at least a form of initialed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. He hopes that this will mean that those countries will get a new elane for building relations with the EU.

Addressing participants at the Regional Conference of the European Democrats at the European Parliament, which assembles the conservative and people’s parties, Lange stated that the remaining signings of SAA are to be expected in the first half of 2008. That would create entire network of countries which will regulate relations with the EU. That is precondition for strengthening of regional cooperation,he said.

Implementation of the SAA is the best preparation to make sure that the countries get a status of candidates for the EU, Lange said.

Commenting the visa regime facilitation for the region’s countries, which is to be put in force January 1 2008, Lange stated that the European Commission is supportive of full liberalization of the regime, provided that the readmission agreements are settled.

Head of the Bosnian Direction for European Integrations Osman Topcagic stated in his address that everything has changed in Bosnia after the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. Situation had been everything but simple only a week before that,he said.

Initialing of the SAA has shown the “soft power” of the EU at its best, Topcagic stated. He emphasized that things do not fall into place by themselves. People dedicated to their jobs make sure that happens.

SILAJDZIC MET WITH OUTGOING WORLD BANK DIRECTOR ORSALIA KALANTZOPOULOS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency member Haris Silajdzic met in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with outgoing Director of the World Bank in Bosnia and Coordinator for the Southeastern Europe Orsalia Kalantzopoulos.

Kalantzopoulos presented her successor Jane Armitage, who will as the Director of the Western Balkans region. She will take office on January 1, the Bosnian Presidency stated.

She also presented the report on current activities of the World Bank in Bosnia and stressed that there are certain problems concerning the implementation of 10 million USD in support of the Bosnian secondary schools.

Kalantzopoulos said that only four cantons have expressed interest in these funds.

Silajdzic thanked Kalantzopoulos four her successful four-year engagement in Bosnia and stressed that he expects equally successful cooperation to continue with the new World Bank Director in Bosnia.

He said that additional efforts need to be made to ensure that funds intended for secondary education do not fail and stressed that different opinions of certain structures are a result of a complicated and dysfunctional system.

EUROPEAN PEOPLES' PARTY URGES BOSNIAN AUTHORITIES TO INTENSIFY ACTIVITIES ON IMPLEMENTING REFORMS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – President of the European Peoples’ Party – European Democrats (EPP – ED) Caucus in the European Parliament Joseph Daul urged the Bosnian authorities to intensify activities on implementing necessary reform and to fully use the opportunity provided by the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.

Daul told a press conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Bosnia and the European Union has confirmed the EU perspective of Bosnia and that it has created conditions for overcoming the political crisis and impasse in reforms.

European Parliament’s Delegation for the Southeastern Europe Chair Doris Pack underlined the need for creating perspectives for young people in the region similar to those in developed European countries, especially in the education system.

Pack welcomed the signing of the Visa Regime Facilitation Agreement between Bosnia and the EU.

She also underlined the importance of constitutional and police reform in Bosnia. Pack said that the broadest possible circle of people should be included in these issues and urged politicians in Bosnia not to deal only with high political issues, but also with the daily problems of the Bosnian citizens.

European Peoples’ Party President Wilfred Martens announced the upcoming summit of heads of governments and parties prior to the session of the European Council, at which the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) President Sulejman Tihic will represent Bosnia.

He reminded that SDA, HDZBiH, HDZ1990 and PDP are members of the family of European peoples’ parties and expressed confidence that the upcoming summit will contribute to peace, stability and prosperity of the region in general.

Participants in this two-day meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo sent a firm message to Bosnia and the region of the Southeastern Europe that the strongest caucus in the European Parliament wishes to see them join the family of European countries.

Representatives of Bosnia's political parties, as well as representatives of several UN offices in Bosnia and the region and numerous other domestic and international officials attended the session of the EPP – ED Board in Sarajevo.

The European People's Party is the largest transnational European political party. Founded in 1976, the EPP has 72 member-parties from 39 countries, 10 EU and 6 non-EU heads of government, 9 European Commissioners (including the President), and the largest group in the European Parliament with 278 members.