SDA: POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH DO NOT ADVOCATE INTERESTS OF BOSNIA WANT TO SEE OHR DISMISSED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) is against the attempts of annulment of the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) or redefinition of its role.

”OHR’s role cannot be changed before this country’s Constitution is changed. Dayton Agreement cannot function without the Annex 10, which is related to the OHR. It serves to unblock all the obstacles that have been put into the Dayton Agreement”,the SDA Party said yesterday.

The Party of Democratic Action added that annulment of the OHR or the Bonn Powers is advocated by political forces that have been obstructing reform processes in Bosnia.Also,their contribution to the country is questionable.

The SDA is of the opinion that the OHR can be dismissed once Bosnia becomes an EU and NATO member.

The party calls the Peace Implementation Council not to let destabilization of Bosnia which would happen if the OHR is closed.

”The political crisis in Bosnia that happened two months ago clearly warns us against that move”, the SDA stated.

The Peace Implementation council (PIC) is the only body that can decide on the future of the OHR, Oleg Milisic, OHR's Spokesperson stated yesterday.

He said that in a reaction to attitudes presented by the prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia ("the RS") Milorad Dodik who stated that the OHR should end its mission in Bosnia.

Milisic could not confirm if the PIC will discuss the fate of OHR at the meeting that is to be held in Brussels in late February, but did say that this body will continue monitoring the political and security situation in Bosnia.

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.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC MET WITH US AND NATO OFFICIALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic on met with the US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English and the NATO Sarajevo HQ Commander General Major Richard Wightman.

They discussed Bosnia's progress towards the NATO membership and underlined a need for concrete implementation of the Agreement on Basic Regulative Principles for immobile and mobile military assets, signed on July 12 2007 in order to achieve necessary progress before the upcoming Summit of NATO in Bucharest,Romania.

This meeting was also attended by the Commander of the Bosnian Armed Forces General Sifet Podzic.

WORLD'S BEST FIGURE SKATERS TO PERFORM IN SARAJEVO ON FEBRUARY 7

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – On February 7, the “Champions on Ice” event will take place in Sarajevo. It is a show with the best figure skaters in the world, former and current world and Olympic champions.

The event will take place at the “Zetra” Olympic Hall on the day of the opening of 14th Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo in 1984.

The Bosnin audience will have an opportunity to enjoy the mastery of Jevgenij Plushenko, Viktor Petrenko, pair Oxana Kazakova – Arthur Dimitriev and other aces of figure skating.

Organizor of this event is ZOI ’84 and the City of Sarajevo, as well as Slovenian production House “Artman”.

”Spectacular performance on ice is chance to remember contestans’ performances in Zetra during the Olympioc Games”, stated the Head of ZOI ’84 Nedzad Ajnadzic.

The City of Sarajevo gave the amount of 140.000 Bosnian Marks to help the organization of this event.

”We want to show the world how proud we are to belong to the family of Olympic cities”, stated spokesperson for the Sarajevo City Council Denis Zaimovic.

FATA ORLOVIC AND MIROSLAV LAJCAK DNEVNI AVAZ'S PERSONS OF THE YEAR 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – According to the votes of Bosnian daily “Dnevni Avaz” readers, the Person of the Year for 2007 in Bosnia is Fata Orlovic, a returnee to Konjevic Polje. Foreign Person of the Year for 2007 is the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak.

They were awarded plaques at a ceremony in Sarajevo at the Dnevni Avaz Business Centre.Dnevni Avaz’s Editor-in-Chief Sead Luckin presented the awards.

Fata Orlovic became famous in Bosnia when she insisted that the illegaly built Orthodox Christian Church be removed from her property. In the process, she also refused to take enormous sums of money in exchange for her land.

Miroslav Lajcak has been awarded for exceptional contribution in the process of association of Bosnia to the EU.

”This award is an exceptional honour but also an enormous responsibility. It sent me an important message from the Bosnian citizens: they believe in a EU future of the country”, Lajcak said.

Many prominent figures from the Bosnian political and social life attended the event. The award was presented for the first time in 1995.The Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and the American President Bill Clinton were the first to receive it.

BOOK OF CONDOLENCES FOR VICTIMS OF POLISH MILITARY PLANE CRASH OPENED AT EMBASSY OF POLAND

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – At the premises of the Polish Embassy in Bosnia , a book of condolences for the tragically killed Polish soldiers has been opened yesterday.On this occasion, the Polish Embassy in Bosnia issued a statement explaining that on Wednesday in the northern part of Poland, near village Miroslavviec the Polish air force transport airplane crashed and 20 officers lost their lives.

Among victims were four crew members and sixteen passengers.

The Polish Minister of Defence Bogdan Klich stated after the tragic event that the best Polish commanders were killed and that he shares his grief with their families.

Tragedy of the Polish transport airplane, by the number of victims, is a third largest airplane catastrophe in Poland’s history, stated the release of the Polish Embassy in Bosnia.

STEPHAN LUPINO TO OPEN A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBIT OF HIS WORK ON FEB 19 IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – Famous photographer Stephan Lupino will present a part of his opus to the Bosnian audience by an exhibition that will open as a part of the Sarajevo Winter Festival on February 19 at the Collegium Artisticum Gallery in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Lupino will present a retrospective of his opus. Some of the photographs from his previous exhibits will be presented.

75 smaller photographs will be exhibited, including the ones made during Lupino’s time in New York and the latest “Magical Children”.

Lupino told the press yesterday in Sarajevo that the “Magical Children” Project is a series of photographs of children suffering from Down Syndrome. It is aimed to raise the people’s consciousness about the syndrome and make sure those patients are made a part of the community, which means that they are made able to claim their rights.

He emphasized to have already made a calendar dedicated to the children suffering from Down Syndrome and that he is currently working on a monograph of those photos.

MEMBERS OF BOSNIAN AND SLOVENIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONS FOR DEFENCE AND SECURITY MET IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – Members of the Bosnian Parliament’s Commission for Defence and Security had a meeting yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with delegation of the Slovenian Parliament’s Committee for Defence and Security, lead by President Tonet Andrelic.

They exchanged opinions on defence and security reforms in Bosnia, in the period of transition.

Special attention was given to the activities of the parliamentarians related to NATO summit that is to be held in Bucharest,Romania, with participation of the Slovenian contingent in the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR).

Bilateral meetings between the Bosnian and Slovenian commissions have been marked as useful, for they resulted in several initiatives important for the region.

REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATORS MET IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) - A meeting organized by the SEE Institute for Telecommunications and Information Research and the Regulatory Agency for Communications (RAK) was held in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Eight regional telecommunications agencies were present at the meeting – from Bosnia,Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

They were discussing EU standards in their field, and security issues in the e-communications sector.The Bosnian and the Montenegrin RAK agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding, for increasing co-operation in the area of developing telecommunication services.

EUPM COMMEMORATES COLLEAGUES WHO DIED WHILE SERVING IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) - The European Union Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM) remembered yesterday its first Head of Mission, Sven Frederiksen, and two colleagues, Jose Andres Ygarza Palou and Francesco Niutta, who lost their lives while serving in Bosnia.

In the presence of Alessandro Fallavollita, the Ambassador of Italy to Bosnia , and José María Castroviejo y Bolíbar, the Ambassdor of Spain to Bosnia,Deputy Head of Mission, Ari Sarjanen, laid a wreath at a memorial stone in front of the main entrance of the EUPM Headquarters in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo and invited all those present to join him in a minute of silence.

“These fine officers lost their lives during honourable service in the EUPM, assisting Bosnia on its path towards European Union,” Sarjanen said.

“Their professionalism and dedication to service will always be remembered. They will be missed but not forgotten,” he added.

Commissioner Frederiksen passed away on the morning of 26 January 2004, following a coronary seizure. Warrant Officers Palou and Niutta lost their lives in tragic accidents.

Commissioner Frederiksen served as the last Commissioner of the International Police Task Force in Bosnia (IPTF) and was entrusted with the difficult task to close it down and establish the European Union Police Mission. Commissioner Frederiksen led the mission from its establishment, 1 January 2003, until his sudden death in 2004.