CHILEAN MINISTER OF DEFENCE JOSE CARRASCO VISITED BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic, diplomatic advisor for the President of the Bosnian Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Presidency member Nebojsa Radmanovic's Cabinet Chief, Miroslav Vujicic met with the Chilean Minister of Defence Jose Carrasco.

Silajdzic stated that the presence of the Chilean troops in Bosnia is very important for the internationalization and positive aspects of globalization.

”This is our chance to thank you for your presence in our country", stated Silajdzic.

"We are members of the NATO PFP Programme which is one step towards the full NATO membership and we do our best to get closer to this institution. We have certain number of the Bosnian Armed Forces in several peacekeeping missions around the world. Bosnia started with its association process with the EU and the SAA was initialed," stated Silajdzic.

"Bosnia wants to be a part of the EU and I am an optimist not because it is an evident thing but because Bosnia can give pluralism and multiethnic spirit to the EU”, he added.

He expressed a will to improve relations between Bosnia and Chile and underlined the importance of exchange of experience in economy, trade, culture, defense and foreign policy.

Chile is involved in several peacekeeping missions in the world.

”We are very active in Haiti, in a peace mission we are also present in the region of Israeli and Palestinian confrontation, as well as the Balkans. We visited our troops, 21 soldiers in Bosnia precisely and we are very proud of them”, stated the Chilean Minister of Defence and added that Chileans learned a lot about democracy from their difficult experience with general Pinoche’s rule.

”We have found the way of national reconciliation, and learned what democracy is. It took a lot of time but we progressed. We learned that economic development is fundamental and that there is no social development without it”, concluded Minister Carrasco.

He also stated that Chile wants good relations with Bosnia and that his visit was motivated by these interests.