BOSNIA TO CONTINUE ITS PARTICIPATION IN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS IN 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 3,2008) - "Bosnia intends to continue its participation in peacekeeping missions this year. We will send a unit to Iraq, our observers will go to Congo and Eritrea," the Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotić told Bosnian daily Dnevni Avaz.

"We will also open new military missions in Ankara, Belgrade, Zagreb, and with the NATO headquarters," he said.

"It is also possible that will send a number of officers to NATO-led missions, most likely in Afghanistan," Cikotić said.

Asked whether any number of Bosnian soldiers, other than officers, would also go, the minister said it was up to the Bosnian authorities to decide.

"Potentially, such a possibility exists, but the Bosnian Presidency must make that decision," the Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotić concluded.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT TO CONTINUE WITH WAR CRIMES HEARINGS TODAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 3,2008) - After a short-pause for the New Year's holiday, the Bosnian State Court will continue with war crimes hearings today,on Thursday, January 3 when it will decide on extension of costudy for Serbian war criminal Predrag Kujundzic who is charged with war crimes against Bosnian civilians committed in the Bosnian town of Doboj during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The indictment, filed by the Bosnian State Prosecutor in late December 2007, alleges that Kujundzic led a genocidal Serbian paramilitary group , which is associated with the war crimes committed on the territory of Doboj in 1992 and 1993.Bosnian police arrested Serbian war criminal Kujundzic in October 2007.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges him with having "committed, abetted, supported and, despite knowing of the crimes, failed to prevent or punish the perpetrators of murders, sexual slavery, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts aimed at causing of severe suffering and serious bodily injuries".

On Friday, January 4 a plea hearing in the case of Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic is due to take place before the War Crimes Chamber of the Bosnian State Court. Klickovic is charged with having committed war crimes against Bosnian civilians on the territory of the northwestern Bosnian town of Bosanska Krupa in 1992,in the early stages of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The indictment, which was confirmed by the Bosnian State Court on December 19, 2007, alleges that Klickovic, as a member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia, "planned, initiated, ordered and committed" the attacks on Bosanska Krupa, Bosanska Otoka and Ostruznica towns.

In the course of the attacks, a large number of Bosnian civilians were mass murdered by the fascist Serbian aggressor, while their houses were pillaged and set to fire.

NEW VISA REGIMES BETWEEN EU AND BOSNIA CAME INTO EFFECT FROM YESTERDAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 3,2008) - New, less strict, visa regimes between the European Union and Bosnia,Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia came into effect yesterday, on January 2. Croatia does not have a visa regime with the EU.

The agreements would be valid for all EU member states, with the exception of Denmark, UK and Ireland, as well as the nine new Schengen countries.

Citizens of the five countries under the new visa regime, would need a Bulgarian visa to enter Bulgaria. Prices for Bulgarian visas have been recently changed. With a Schengen visa they would be allowed transit for up to five days.

It was expected that Bulgaria and Macedonia would start negotiations to establish a local arrangement for cross-border movement between the two countries.

NEW FILM TALENT INITIATIVE LAUNCHES IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 3,2008) - The Bosnian capital Sarajevo will become one large citywide movie location in the spring following the launch of a film talent initiative.

The Sarajevo City of Film initiative ,backed by the FBIH entity government and the Bosnian state cultural ministry,will enable participants in the debut talent campus at the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival to make low-budget features, documentaries and animation projects related to the city of Sarajevo.

The program, formally launched Dec. 24,2007, is open to the young filmmakers who will take part in the festival's talent campus, which is being organized with the assistance of the Berlin Film Festival.

Grants will be made to four teams made up of three core members - a producer, director and actor,from at least two countries. The resulting project will be screened during August's Sarajevo fest.

The new award "will encourage the collaboration of young artists whose work is the future of this region's cinema," the Sarajevo film festival said in a statement. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 1 ,2008.