BOSNIAN POLICE REFORM STALLS AGAIN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – European Union-backed reforms of Bosnia's police forces have stalled again, threatening to delay signing of a deal on further integration with the bloc, the Office of the International community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) said yesterday."Further rejection of the police reforms would only leave Bosnia behind other countries in the region.

The latest failure "sends the wrong signal to the EU about Bosnia's intention to continue its path" towards the bloc, the OHR said.

After initialing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union in December, Bosnia was expected to start implementing the reforms soon after and sign the deal in the first half of 2008.

The police reforms were an EU condition before the membership process could begin. In order to complete the signing Bosnia must implement them and show progress in its judiciary and media.

However, the latest round of talks last weekend between the six most influential political leaders in Bosnia failed.

Sulejman Tihic, leader of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), rejected a proposed model, saying it did not envisage unification of the ethnically divided police forces in Bosnia.

His move disappointed the international community, which is eager to see significant progress in Bosnia following the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions.

"It is unacceptable that politicians who had signed something and gave assurances to the commissioner (Olli Rehn) are no longer doing it," Doris Pack,a member oof the EU Parliament told reporters yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

The International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak accused Bosnian politicians and political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia of putting their interests above the interests of citizens of Bosnia.

"If authorities in Bosnia continue with such behaviour, the international community will have to take action," Lajcak stated yesterday.

However,SDA’s president Sulejman Tihic has accused Lajcak of unfair treatment, by taking the side of politicial representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia, and letting the prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS) Milorad Dodik – intimidate him.

Tihic puts the responsibility for the SAA most likely not being signed soon on the international community and the High Representative Lajcak, because, as he stated, "they lack the courage to defy Dodik’s dictate".

In a press conference, Tihic announced that the SDA Party does not think that the proposed police reform would result in a single police structure in Bosnia, and that a central state police body would have no power over local police forces.

LAJCAK: BOSNIA COULD SIGN SAA WITH EU IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – Provided there are no disturbances in the process, the Stabilization and Association Agreement could be signed between Bosnia and the EU in less than six months, the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak said yesterday at the opening of the 10th interparliamentary meeting between the Bosnian and European Union's Parliaments.

Lajcak reminded that police reform, public administration reform, broadcasting reform and co-operation with the ICTY stay as the main conditions for Bosnia to sign the SAA with the EU.

A member of the EU Parliament Doris Pack expressed fears that the most recent political developments in Bosnia could put everything that was planned for 2008 at risk.

EU STILL EXPECTS BOSNIA TO SUBMIT DRAFT LAWS ON POLICE REFORM BY FEBRUARY 15

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – Chief EU negotiator with Bosnia Dirk Lange said that Brussels still expects Bosnia to submit draft laws proving the implementation of the Mostar Declaration on police reform by February 15.

As he said, if no such document arrives, postponing the Stabilisation and association Agreement (SAA) signing between Bosnia and the European Union will be an inevitable consequence.

Lange was not familiar at the time with the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak’s statement that the SDA Party dropping from the police reform agreement basically means there is no chance for Bosnia to sign the SAA while Slovenia presides over the EU.

OHR: BOSNIA'S POLITICAL LEADERS NEED TO RESPECT MOSTAR DECLARATION AND POLICE REFORM IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – The Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) expects the political leaders in Bosnia to respect the Mostar Declaration and Action Plan for police reform, Oleg Milisic, the OHR Spokesperson said.

Commenting the decision passed by the SDA President Sulejman Tihic that police reform will be refused by the SDA Party,because the SDA does not think that the proposed reform would result in a single police structure in Bosnia, Milisic reminded that the documents in question have been accepted by the EU.

The OHR once again warned that refusal of the police reform will not only block the reform processes, but will also lead to halt of Bosnia's EU integration processes.

”Bosnia now belongs to EU and should not waste time”, the OHR announced.

February 15 is deadline for Police Reform Implementation workgroup to continue the work on development of several drafts on police reform.

BOSNIAN DEFENCE MINISTER AND UKRANIAN MILITARY ATTACHE DISCUSSED MILITARY COOPERATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – The Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic had a meeting yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with the Ukrainian Military Attaché Andryj Miroshnythenko on the activities of BiH Defence Ministry in NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program, Bosnian defence reforms and bilateral cooperation.

Plan of bilateral military cooperation between Bosnia and Ukraine encompasses cooperation in the sector of military education and military equipment repair.

The Ukrainian Military Attaché expressed pleasure over Bosnian defence reforms and expressed satisfaction with the results achieved in cooperation in the military sector between the two countries, the Bosnian Defence Ministry announced.

BOSNIAN AND SWEDISH OFFICIALS DISCUSSED PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) – Relations between Bosnia and Sweden are at a very high level. There are no open issues between these two countries. This was stated in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo by Speaker of the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives Milorad Zivkovic and Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Jan Bjorkman.Bjorkman is leading the Swedish parliamentary delegation in a visit to Bosnia.

”Bosnia and Sweden have an agreement on dual citizenship which can serve as an example and the way for achieving an agreement between any two countries. Agreements that are to be signed next are related to the sectors of economy, tourism and agriculture, which will be a priority in relations with this country in the following period”, Zivkovic stated.

Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament is convinced that the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries will strengthen further. He is satisfied with the fact that Bosnia has initialled the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and added that Sweden fully supports Bosnia on the way to the EU membership.

RAIFFEISEN BROKERS PROCLAIMED THE BEST BROKERAGE COMPANY IN BOSNIA IN 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 6,2008) - Sarajevo Raiffeisen Brokers have been proclaimed the most successful brokerage company in Bosnia in 2007. The criteria considered in this decision included the traded value and the number of transactions on the Sarajevo Stock Exchange (SASE).

Representatives of the SASE presented the award yesterday to director of Raiffeisen Brokers Jasmin Gabela.

Last year, the value of stocks traded by their brokerage was around 375 million Bosnian Marks, through 42,751 transactions. The second best was Sarajevo AW Broker, and the third Eurohaus. There are 18 brokerages in total trading on the Sarajevo Stock Exchange.