ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ANNEX 7 OF DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT PRESENTED IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – Representatives of the Bosnian Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees presented in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo an action plan for Annex 7 implementation of the Dayton Agreement to associations of returnees and refugees from Bosnia and Croatia.”Position of the returnees in Bosnia is unbearable and it is a product of dominating political structures which, following their own interest in 2002 blocked the Annex 7 implementation by limiting the competence of the Bosnian Council of Ministers in one of the most important issues for Bosnia”, stated the Bosnian Association of Refugees and Displaced Persons.

Abandoning the returnees, such as the case in the eastern Herzegovina region, due to ignorant behavior and lack of principles of those responsible, lately initiated the revision of existing strategy which would, according to the presented Action plan, immensely improve the status of this population in Bosnia.

The Bosnian Association of Refugees and Displaced Person provides firm and unconditional support for this document in which final development, 70 institutions will take part – government, NGO, domestic and international representatives.

TURKISH MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – The Bosnian Deputy Defence Minister Igor Crnadak hosted a delegation of the Turkish Armed Forces yesterday, helmed by the head of logistics with the Turkish General Staff Orhan Özlü.

The purpose of this visit is to develop existing relations and co-operation in logistics, training, education and the defence industry.

Crnadak thanked Turkey for all its assistance to Bosnia so far. An agreement on a military donation worth around 850,000 Bosnian Marks, to be signed by the Bosnian Government and the Turkish Government, will soon be finalized.

BRCKO DISTRICT SUPERVISOR RAFFI GREGORIAN REGULATES WORK OF INSURANCE COMPANIES WITHIN BRCKO DISTRICT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – The Brcko District Supervisor Raffi Gregorian issued yesterday a Supervisory Order on the applicability of entity legislation regulating the establishment, supervision, business operations and governance of insurance companies and obligatory insurance within the Brcko District.

This Order is an addendum to the August 4, 2006 Supervisory Order “Abolishing Entity Legislation within Brcko District and Declaring the Inter-Entity Boundary Line to Be of No Further Legal Significance within the District”.

Since the Supervisory Order of August 4, 2006 abolished entity legislation, and the District has not developed its own legislation regulating the insurance sector, this area of business became unregulated within the Brcko District.

Insurance companies cannot work if not registered and supervised by an insurance agency. The option of establishing a Brcko District insurance agency has been explored and assessed as an unnecessary and disproportional burden on District resources.

Therefore, Supervisor Gregorian decided that entity laws and regulations relating to the insurance sector will be in force in the Brcko District until such time that they are repealed by a decision or legislative enactment of the Brcko District Assembly.

The effect of the Supervisory Order is that branch offices of insurance companies operating in the Brcko District will continue to be supervised by the insurance agency of the entity that registered those companies, and insurance companies with the seat in Brcko District will be free to choose the insurance agency of an Entity with which they wish to register. Once they are registered, they will fall under the supervision of that particular Entity insurance agency.

BOSNIAN FOREIGN TRADE CHAMBER TO PRESENT STUDY ON BOSNIAN TOURISM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – Recognizing the tourism sector in Bosnia a especially attractive and important for the development of the country, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported the Bosnian Government and the Bosnian Foreign Trade Chamber in the project to write comprehensive study on the Bosnian tourism.

The study by French Orgalis/BCEOM is now finished, and indicates a number of attractive areas and opportunities for investors, especially with respect to winter and youth tourism, nature parks, sports, religious, spa and agro tourism.

The study will be presented in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on January 22.

BOSNIA SEEKS WHF HELP TO DEVELOP HALAL MARKET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (January 18,2008) – The Bosnian Halal Certification Agency of has requested the World Halal Forum (WHF) to help the country develop its halal market.KasehDia Sdn Bhd founder/managing director, Jumaatun Azmi, said Bosnia offered huge opportunities for Malaysian halal food manufacturers as the country was a net importer of food products.

"Most food processing facilities were destroyed or severely damaged during the war. However, the product quality of the major processors is comparable with many imported products," Jumaatun said at the media briefing on the findings of the WHF industry dialogues held in South Africa, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey and Bosnia.

KasehDia is the organiser of the WHF and Halal Indusry Dialogues.

She said the collaboration with Bosnia through Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme involved the development of human capital competency to facilitate it to be a gateway for Malaysians to tap Europe's halal market.

"We have identified strategic investment opportunities for Malaysian companies there and we saw a huge potential for investment in halal tourism such as in hotels," she said.

Jumaatun said Malaysia was in a leading position to be driving force in global halal trade.

"There are many countries, particularly from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), are looking to Malaysia as a key reference point in terms of halal food standards and international certification," she said.

Jumaatun suggested the International Halal Integrity Alliance, which was initiated at the WHF 2007 to work closely with Department of Islamic Development Malaysia and Halal Industry Development Corp, to export Malaysia's expertise globally, particularly to OIC nations.

The World Halal Forum will be held in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, on May 12-13. It is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN FBIH ENTITY INCREASED BY 9.1 PER CENT IN 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – Industrial production in the FBiH entity in 2007 increased by 9.1 percent,Head of the FBiH Entity Statistics Bureau Dervis Djurdjevic stated yesterday at the press conference.

Industrial production in December last year comparing to average monthly production from the previous year was higher by 9.3 percent, and comparing to the production from the same month in 2006, it is lower by 1.6 percent, while comparing to November it is lower by 1.3 percent.

In 2007, comparing with 2006, industrial production in processing industry is higher by 13.8 percent, in mining by 10.2, and in electricity, gas and water supply lower by 5.5 percent.

Average monthly salary in November last year in the FBiH entity was 694.77 Bosnian Marks.According to the latest data of the FBiH Entity Statistics Bureau, during that month monthly net salary was increased by 2.30 percent.

Highest average net salary in November was in Sarajevo Canton in the amount of 877.71 Bosnian Marks, than in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton 755.91 Bosnian Marks and lowest was in Srednjebosanski Canton 551.28 Bosnian Marks.

Average monthly gross salary in November last year was 1.021.72 Bosnian Marks.In November, 323.944 pensions were paid and average pension was 299.61 Bosnian Marks.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBER HARIS SILAJDZIC MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ASSOCIATIONS FOR OLD FOREIGN EXCHANGE SAVINGS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 18,2008) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency Dr Haris Silajdžić met with representatives of all Associations for old foreign exchange savings in Bosnia.

During the meeting, the Associations’ representatives informed Dr Silajdžić about the activities undertaken over the previous period to solve the old foreign exchange savings problem trough the Bosnian state institutions.

They emphasized that their rights to private property were violated by the Law on settling the commitments in accordance to the old foreign exchange savings accounts, as well as the previous actions of the Bosnian courts, which do not want to make decisions concerning their demands.

During the meeting, Dr Silajdžić reminded about the constitutional competencies of the Bosnian Presidency and stated that the possibility of assisting in solving the problem should be considered from that aspect.

ARRESTING SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS RADOVAN KARADZIC AND RATKO MLADIC TO REMAIN ICTY'S TOP PRIORITY

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (January 18,2008) – Obtaining the arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of the remaining fugitives, particularly Serbian war criminals Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, remains an absolute priority. They have been escaping justice since 1995, the new ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serg Brammertz stated yesterday.

Arresting all ICTY fugitives especially Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic will remain an absolute priority, Belgian judge stated in his first address since the November 28 nomination.

”The Office of the Prosecutor will therefore continue to rely on the crucial support and assistance of States in the former Yugoslavia and the international community to finally bring Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Goran Hadžić and Stojan Župljanin to justice”, he added.

The four Serbian war criminals are former leaders of the Serbians living in Bosnia Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic,Stojan Zupljanin and former leader of the Serbians living in Croatia Goran Hadzic.

Serbian war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and severe breaches of the Geneva Conventions committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Brammertz stated that “continuation of this task will be of the outmost importance” and announced to visit the Southeastern European countries soon. His Spokesperson Olga Kavran announced that the visit will take place early February.
Slovenia, which holds the EU presidency, has been trying to persuade its partners to sign an agreement with Serbia on January 28.

Holland and Belgium are against Serbia’s association with the EU until the top four Serbian war criminals are brought to justice.

Brammertz stated that he is impressed with the number of achievements of the ICTY, since it was founded in 1993.

”Thanks to the leadership of the previous prosecutors, and most recently Ms. Carla Del Ponte, I inherit a fully functional Office staffed with highly dedicated and capable individuals. Continuity in the work of the Office of the Prosecutor is of utmost importance and I intend to provide the leadership and direction necessary to successfully fulfil our mandate. With 26 individuals on trial, nine on appeal and 11 awaiting trial, this is a busy period for the ICTY. A lot of work remains to be done. Therefore, my first priority will be to ensure the successful conduct of all current and pending criminal proceedings”, he said.

He added that “The cooperation between this Office and the prosecution authorities in the former Yugoslavia remains crucial to the continued prosecution of war crimes in the region. This Office will continue its ongoing cooperation with local war crimes prosecutors and judicial authorities by transferring remaining investigation files and sharing accumulated information and expertise”.

”We are grateful for the support of United Nations member states to the work of this institution and for their approval of the ICTY budget for 2008 and 2009. As ever, we will continue to rely and call on the critical support of the international community and the NGOs since the Tribunal’s successful implementation of its Completion Strategy fully depends on it.
I am fully committed to building upon the Tribunal’s many achievements. We owe this to the victims of the crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia”, Brammertz concluded.