2007 RECORD YEAR IN TERMS OF AMOUNT OF FOREIGN INVESMENTS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – This year was a record in sense of amount of foreign investments realized, or three times higher comparing most successful years in earlier periods, the Director of the Bosnian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) Haris Basic said at the annual press conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. He noted that overall investments this year were 1,630 billion Euros.

"Thus overall foreign investments in Bosnia, in the period from 1994 until December 2007, reached 4.6 billion Euros. These results were accomplished in circumstances that were not promising great success," Basic noted.

He underlined that advertising campaign "Enjoy life Bosnia", according to opinion of domestic and world public, have yielded great contribution to changing the perception on Bosnia and promoted the country as rich with tourism offer which can please various interests.

Basic said that FIPA introduced at the beginning of the year its own statistical researches and registration of inflow of direct foreign investments, aiming to timely inform those interested.

"According to all assessments, there are realistic assumptions that this positive investment growth trend in our country resumes next year. I sincerely hope more constructive cooperation with all institutions responsible for attracting foreign investments, in order to jointly create necessary positive preconditions for that to happen," Basic said.

The Director of the Bosnian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency also said that FIPA enters next year with a new motto called "Invest in Bosnia - your new opportunity".

BOSNIA COMPLETED FIRST CYCLE OF FULFILLING OBLIGATIONS FOR PFP MEMBERSHIP

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – "The NATO Political Military Steering Committee accepted the Partnership for Peace Planning and Review Process (PARP) for Bosnia, which has successfully ended the first cycle in the fulfillment of obligations our country has accepted by joining the Partnership for Peace (PFP) Programme," the Bosnian Deputy Defence Minister and Head of the Bosnian delegation for PARP Igor Crnadak said at a press conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Crnadak reminded that PARP was unanimously accepted at the meeting in the NATO HQ in Brussels on December 11.He said that the Bosnian side expressed assistance that there is full consensus in Bosnia in terms of the fulfilment of conditions necessary for the process of Euro-Atlantic integrations.

PARP, a document which defines partnership objectives for Bosnia concerning defence, security and foreign police, as well as the relationship between the defence systems of Bosnia and NATO, will be verified on January 10,2008, following a “period of silence”, i.e. after it is delivered to missions of NATO member states.

Crnadak said that the successful completion of the first cycle sends a positive signal prior to the NATO Summit in Bucharest (Romania) scheduled for early April next year.

He stressed that this is no time for euphoria and that work needs to be continued immediately on fulfilling conditions from the second cycle with NATO, including the adoption of the presentation document for Bosnia – the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).

Crnadak also said that this document will be before the Bosnian Presidency in February and that all state ministries are already working on it.

SEVERAL WAR CRIMES TRIALS TO CONTINUE THIS WEEK BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – The trial of Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek - charged with having committed crimes against humanity in the eastern Bosnian town Visegrad,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court today,on Monday, December 17.

The trials of Serbian war criminals Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic,former members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) charged with the murder of Bosnian civilians in Borkovac village near the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac in 1992,during the early stages of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia, are also due to continue today.

A former member of the Bosnian Army Idhan Sipic,who has admitted murdering a Serbian woman living in Bosnia on the territory of Kljuc municipality during the "Sana 95" military operation, is due to appear before the Bosnian State Court today.

The guilt admission agreement, made on November 23 this year, will be considered then. This is the first time that a guilt admission agreement has been reached before the War Crimes Chamber of the Bosnian State Court.

The trial of Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic, former members of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations charged with crimes committed in the Vojno concentration camp near the southern Bosnian city of Mostar,during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's is also due to continue before the Bosnian State Court today.

On that same day, and also on Wednesday, December 19 the trial before the Bosnian State Court continues in the case of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic, charged with genocide committed in Bosnia by the fascist Serbian aggressor in the 1990's.

On Tuesday, December 18, Enes Handzic and Senad Dautovic are due to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. The former members of the Bosnian Army are charged with having committed war crimes in Bugojno.

At the trial of Sefik Alic, former assistant commander for security of the "Hamze" Battalion with the 505th Buzim Brigade of the Fifth Corps of the Bosnian Army, who is indicted for offences committed against the captured genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers during the "Oluja" military operation in 1995, new prosecution witnesses are due to appear on Tuesday, December 18.

On the same day, Serbian war criminal Mitar Rasevic's defence team will examine its witnesses. Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic are charged with having committed war crimes against Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Foca,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

On Wednesday, December 19 the prosecution will examine the last witness at the trial of Zijad Kurtovic.According to the indictment, in the second half of 1993, in Donja Drežnica, Mostar Municipality, as a commander of the Military police platoon within an Independent Drežnica Battalion of the Fourth Corps of the Bosnian Army, Zijad Kurtović acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions. The indictment charges Kurtovic with the maltreatment of 20 civilians and captured fascist Croatian aggressor's soldiers, who were detained in Donja Dreznica in 1993.

On December 18 and 20, the first defence witnesses will be examined before the Bosnian State Court at the trial of Serbian war criminals Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic, former members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), who are charged with having tortured and murdered unlawfully imprisoned Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian towns of Bratunac and Zvornik,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

At the trial of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic, the first defence witnesses are due to appear before the Bosnian State Court on December 18. The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges them with having committed war crimes against Bosnian civilians in Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

SKI SEASON OPENS AT MOUNT BJELASNICA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – Ski season 2007/2008 was opened on Saturday at the Bjelasnica Mountain near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.The FBIH Entity Minister of Tourism and Environment Nevenko Herceg opened the season at the Marshal Hotel. Numerous Bosnian tourism sector officials, political personalities and other public faces participated.

Addressing the participants Herceg stated that there are ideal conditions in Bosnia to develop winter tourism. All those potentials are not used enough.

”Our Olympic mountains – Bjelasnica, Jahorina and Igman, as well as the already-famous ski-centres of Kupres and Vlasic, and the new ski-centres Blidinje, Rostovo, Brusnica, Busovaca, Ostrelj, Smetovi, Ruiste etc, are a recognizable tourist product in the region and in the world.That is an obligation for all the authorities to promote the tourist offer. This needs to be one of the priority goals at all levels of government and in the NGO sector. By organizing for the official opening of the winter skiing season we have shown awareness of the priority of those goals, that is effects tourism can cause in the reconstruction and development of our economy”, Minister Herceg said.


He added that the FBIH Entity Government is making all the efforts necessary to promote tourism.

”We are simply trying to develop tourism. Statistics show that the year of 2007 is a turning point in the tourism development.I am convinced that this tourist season will be equally successful”, Minister Herceg concluded.

About 2.000 citizens participated in opening of the new winter season.

The Sarajevo Canton Tourist Community organized the manifestation. Numerous activities have been prepared, starting with lottery, day and night skiing, free lunches,etc.

BOSNIAN TOURISM AWARDS PRESENTED IN ILIDZA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) - Traditional award presenting ceremony for the best tourist company in Bosnia was held in Ilidza. The award presented is entitled “The Golden Crown of Hotel and Restaurant Entrepreneurship”.

All the companies in the sector participated; the FBIH Entity Minister of Environment and Tourism Nevenko Herceg stated that tourism is a developing sector in the Bosnian economy.

Herceg supported the activities of the Association of Hotel and Restaurant Employees in Bosnia, which organized the ceremony.The ceremony was organized to mark the ending of the entire-year action of marking the quality of the Bosnian hotels and restaurants.

Awards were presented this year for the second time in 24 categories.The main goal of the ceremony was to develop and promote the activities in tourism sector in Bosnia.

NEW LOANS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – As a part of the “Improving Position of Children and Youth in Bosnia” Program aimed to strengthen entrepreneur capacities of young people in Bosnia, a new loan line has been formed for the purpose of offering the young people throughout Bosnia to get loans and develop their own business.

According to the Sarajevo Economic Region Development Agency’s information, micro and small entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 will be able to get these loans if they will initiate their business in Bosnia.

Production activities, export-oriented business, environment protection and tourist promotion activities will have an advantage.

Loans are ranging from 5.000 Bosnian Marks and 30.000 Bosnian Marks. Credit is 5-years long and there is a grace period of six months. Interest rate is 6,2 per cent annually.

Network of the partner organizations ofthe Sarajevo Economic Region Development Agency (SERDA), the LINK Mostar Association for Entrepreneurship and Business, the NERDA, U.G. TALDI, the Sinergia Association, the CeBEDA and others will offer support to the young entrepreneurs in Bosnia.

FBIH ENTITY PRESIDENT BORJANA KRISTO MET WITH OSCE AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS DAVIDSON

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 17,2007) – The FBiH Entity President Borjana Kristo met with Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia Douglas Davidson in Sarajevo.They discussed the political situation in Bosnia in the context of political and economic reforms in the country.

The talks focussed on the development and strengthening of democracy and the establishment of professional and democratic institutions which through a developed system of legal regulation need to protect the social-economic rights of all Bosnian citizens, the FBiH Entity President’s Cabinet stated.

International institutions play an important role in the development of a functional and democratic Bosnian society. However, the readiness of the domestic authorities to take full responsibility in the interest of all Bosnian citizens is certainly a result of the maturing of the political scene in Bosnia.

Both sides expressed readiness to continue working together, the FBiH Entity President’s Cabinet stated.