BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBER HARIS SILAJDZIC MET WITH AMBASSADOR OF TURKEY TO BOSNIA BULLENT TULUN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency Dr Haris Silajdžić met with Mr. Büllent Tulun, the Ambassador of Turkey to Bosnia.

During the meeting, Dr Silajdžić and Ambassador Tulun discussed the current cooperation between the two friendly countries at the bilateral level and they stated that the economic cooperation is satisfactory, however,they concluded that Bosnia and Turkey still must work on its strengthening.

Dr Silajdžić expressed gratitude for support that Turkey has shown to Bosnia in many areas, especially in the field of training, professionalism and equipping the Bosnian Armed Forces.

BOSNIA'S PRIME MINISTER NIKOLA SPIRIC MET WITH BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO BOSNIA MATTHEW RYCROFT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric met with the British Ambassador to Bosnia Matthew Rycroft.Spiric informed Rycroft on the police reform process, Public Radio and TV Service reform and cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. He expressed optimism regarding fulfilment of conditions for signing the Stabilisation and Association agreement (SAA) with the european Union in the first half of 2008.

They concluded that political situation in Bosnia will be more stable as the country continues on its path towards the EU membership.

Ambassador Rycroft also showed interest in the Bosnian state budget for 2008 and adoption of laws on state property.

Spiric agreed that, in the interest of further progress towards the NATO membership, Bosnia must not pull back from the agreement on principles regulating the military property, which does not force any solutions to be defined through the law on state property.

BOSNIAN TRADE EXCHANGE DEFICIT IN 2007 WAS 8 BILLION BOSNIAN MARKS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) - In December 2007 Bosnia’s trade exchange was worth 1.7 billion Bosnian Marks. Exports accounted for 463.5 million Bosnian Marks or 27.6 per cent, and imports 1.2 billion Bosnian Marks or 72.4 per cent.

Head of the Bosnian Central Statistics Bureau Zdenko Milinovic said at a press conference in the bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday that the December export/import ratio was 38.1 percent.

In the entire 2007, the country’s exports were worth 5.9 billion Bosnian Marks – an increase of 15 per cent in comparison to the year before. Imports grew by 22 percent, to 13.9 billion Bosnian Marks. During this period exports coverage was 42.7 percent.

The 2007 trade deficit was therefore 8 billion Bosnian Marks, approximately. The main trade partner of Bosnia in 2007 was Croatia, accounting for 18.4 per cent of all exports (1.1 billion Bosnian Marks) and 17.6 per cent of the Bosnia's imports (2.4 billion Bosnian Marks).

EBRD INVESTED 150 MILLION EUROS IN BOSNIAN PUBLIC SECTOR LAST YEAR

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested more than 150 million Euros in the public sector in Bosnia last year.The bank was the leading foreign lender in Bosnia last year, the Head of the EBRD Office in Sarajevo Giulio Moreno said.

After presenting the EBRD Transition Report for 2007, Moreno told the press in the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka that EBRD’s plans for both public and private sectors in 2008 are extensive, with planned investments in the former amounting to EUR 250 million.

The six projects in 2008 include, building a section of the Vc Corridor, enhancements in the Elektrokrajina power system, the Blue Water project for wastewaters, and projects for raising security levels at Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla airports.

EBRD’s report also states how the reform progress was visible in the successful privatization of several large companies in Bosnia. The EBRD expects Bosnia’s GDP in 2008 to grow at the rate of five per cent.

BOSNIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DISCUSSED BOSNIAN STATE BUDGET DRAFT FOR 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – The Bosnian Council of Ministers discussed in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo Bill on the Bosnian state budget for 2008 and Bosnia's International Obligations for 2008, in the light of the Bosnian Presidency’s conclusions.

The Bosnian Finance Ministry has been ordered to prepare materials for the next session and submit the Bosnian state budget draft to the Bosnian Council of Ministers.

At the beginning of the session, the Bosnian Council of Ministers paid tribute to the Macedonian soldiers killed on January 12 while returning from Bosnia in a helicopter accident.

TWO DEFENCE WITNESSES TESTIFIED BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS MIRKO TODOROVIC AND MILOS RADIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – At the trial of Serbian war criminals Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic before the Bosnian State Court the defence evidence presentation process has started with the examination of Zivojin Milovcevic and Miladin Jovanovic. These witnesses were invited by Serbian war crimianal Mirko Todorovic's defence.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers that Serbian war criminals Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic, together with four other genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers, attacked a group of 14 Bosnian civilians in Borkovac village near the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac on May 20, 1992 during the early stages of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia. After torturing, beating and pillaging the property of some of the Bosnian civilians, the genocidal Serbian aggressor took them to a nearby brook and murdered them.

Witness Zivojin Milovcevic,who is a Serbian living in Bosnia, said he had known Serbian war criminal Mirko Todorovic for more than 30 years.

"Mirko used to come to my coffee shop and I came to his grocery store," said the witness, describing this Serbian war criminal as "a hardworking and good man".

"Only those who have evil intentions can say bad things about Mirko. I know him as a good person," said the witness.

Milovcevic said that he did not know anything about the mass murder in Borkovac village, the witness added that "people say that Mirko allegedly was there, but he did not do any harm to anybody".

Speaking about Serbian war criminal Milos Radic, the witness said he heard that "he was digging his cornfield, when he was ordered to go to Borkovac".

"All people in Bratunac are surprised that this man is here [in court] now," said the witness, speaking of Serbian war criminal Milos Radic.

Second defence witness Miladin Jovanovic,who is also a Serbian living in Bosnia, said he had known both Serbian war criminals since their childhoods, but did not know anything about their military engagement.Jovanovic said he had heard of the mass murder of the Bosnian civilians in Borkovac, but he did not know any details about it.

Asked by the defence attorneys to describe Serbian war criminal Milos Radic's personality, Jovanovic said: "We have an expression for people like him – we say they are like little lambs". Asked by the prosecutor to clarify what it meant, he said that he was a "quiet, decent and shy man".

The trial of Serbian war criminals Mirko todorovic and milos Radic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on January 21, when five more witnesses will be examined.

ASSOCIATION OF CONCENTRATION CAMPS SURVIVORS IS AGAINST RELEASE OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL BILJANA PLAVSIC FROM PRISON

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – On the occasion of announcements by the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia "the RS" which asks for provisional release of Serbian war criminal Biljana Plavsic from prison, the Bosnian Association of Concentration Camps Survivors will submit a protest letter to President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Faust Pocar that she is not released.

The demand will be submitted on behalf of 50.000 concentration camps survivors from 37 Bosnian cities,the Bosnian Association of Concentration Camps Survivors announced.

Serbian war criminal Biljana Plavsic participated in genocide against Bosnians and other war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian agression against Bosnia.

EMPLOYMENT UP IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 17,2008) – At the end of November 2007 518.055 unemployed people were registered in Bosnia which is less for 1.560 or 0.30 percent is comparing to the previous month.

According to the comparison analysis completed by the Bosnian state employment agency, the highest number of registered unemployed people are those with the law level of education – 184.269 or 35.57 percent.

Out of the total number of registered unemployed people in Bosnia,those with university education comprise 18.481 or 3.57 percent. Out of the total number of unemployed, 250.247 or 48.30 percent are women.