LAJCAK WELCOMES ADOPTION OF SEVERAL KEY PIECES OF LEGISLATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) - The International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajčák welcomed the adoption of several key pieces of legislation by the Bosnian Council of Ministers.

Draft Laws on the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies and Agencies, and the Independent and Supervisory Bodies of the Police Structure of Bosnia will now be debated by the Bosnian Parliament.

The adoption of these laws keeps Bosnia on track with the commitments made to the EU and Commissioner for Enlargement Ollie Rehn in December last year.

“Some Bosnian Ministers voted against these proposals– that is their right,” said Lajčák. "But it is important that Bosnia is fulfilling its commitments on the reforms required for signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the european Union.I hope an understanding can be found in the Bosnian Parliament,” he added.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also adopted the Draft Law on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, another key EU requirement, and the Draft Transfer Agreement on Moveable Defence Property, a key step for implementing the Bosnian defence reform in line with NATO requirements for dealing with surplus weapons and ammunition.
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COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ADOPTED POLICE BILL WITHOUT APPROVAL OF SDA PARTY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) – The Bosnian Council of Ministers in Sarajevo adopted,with majority votes,without the approval of the SDA Party,the draft law on Direction for Coordination of Police Authority and Agencies for Support to the Police Structure in Bosnia, as well as draft law on independent supervisory bodies of police structures in Bosnia.

Legislature office of the with majority votes is obliged to, based on the agreement of the Work Group for Police reform, prepare a draft law and send it to the Bosnian Parliament for discussion.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers Chair Nikola Spiric stated at the press conference that it is good that a level of agreement was preserved according to Mostar Declaration and expressed his expectations that this dedication will be shown by the Bosnian Parliament as well.

He pointed out the importance of these legislative projects on the road to EU with belief that representatives of Peace Implementation Council will be in opportunity to conclude the progress in this segment.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers adopted the presentation document if the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) which was proposed by the Bosnian Ministry of Defence. The Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is obliged to deliver this document to the Bosnian Presidency for further procedure.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers adopted the agreement on disposal of all rights and obligations of movable assets which would be used for defence needs and authorized Spiric to represent the Council in signing of this agreement after which it will be delivered to entity governments for adoption.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also concluded the draft law on protection and saving of people and material goods in case of natural and other disasters in Bosnia.With this law, an operative communication center in Bosnia is introduced as well as a system of unique European number for emergencies 112.

As it was stated by Spiricr, by adopting these documents, that is draft laws, another step forward has been made in the Bosnian defence reform as well as in Bosnia’s road to full membership in NATO and signal was sent before the summit in Bucharest planned for beginning of April.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also discussed on the draft law on salaries of the Bosnian government employees.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also adopted the draft law on changing and amending the law on criminal procedure in Bosnia.Important changes and amendments of this law, which was forced by the International Community's High Representative in 2003 and later confirmed by the Bosnian Parliament came from the practice in which some earlier made legal solutions were hard to implement.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also adopted the draft law on medications and medical aids.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers obliged the Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees to prepare decisions on the naming of Board members of the Genocide Memorial Center Srebrenica-Potocari and cemetery of the genocide victims and deliver it to the Bosnian Council of Ministers by the end of February.
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BOSNIAN STATE COURT ORDERED CUSTODY FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MIODRAG NIKICEVIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) - The Bosnian State Court issued a decision ordering Serbian war criminal Miodrag Nikacevic into one-month custody. Pursuant to the Decision, custody may last until March 14.

In its motion for custody, the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office submits that there is grounded suspicion that Serbian war criminal Miodrag Nikacevic, in mid April 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia,raped a Bosnian woman.

Further in its motion, the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office alleges that in mid June 1992, Serbian war criminal Miodrag Nikicevic raped another Bosnian woman.

Also,n August 2, 1992, as alleged in the Bosnian Prosecutor’s motion, armed and together with two other members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia, Serbian war criminal Miodrag Nikicevic took part in taking away, and later on in the unlawful detention of a Bosnian civilian who was then killed by the genocidal Serbian aggressor at an unknown location.

Having reviewed the evidence submitted, the Bosnian State Court concluded that there was grounded suspicion that Serbian war criminal Miodrag Nikicevic had committed the criminal offence in question.

Further, the Bosnian State Court ordered his custody having found that if released, Serbian war criminal would hinder the criminal proceedings by influencing witnesses, accessories, or accomplices.
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BOSNIAN VILLAGER REVEALS LOCATION OF SPITFIRE SHOT DOWN IN WORLD WAR II

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) – An elderly Bosnian villager has claimed to have rediscovered a Second World War Spitfire that he saw shot down by pro-Nazi Croatian forces 65 years ago.

“I knew it was there all these years because I saw when Ustashe soldiers shot it down in 1943,” Cazim Dautbegovic, a 74-year-old resident of Sarvani village in central Bosnia, said.

“The pilot parachuted out of the plane and was rescued by partisans,” he added, referring to the communist-led Bosnian forces who fought Germans and their regional allies.

Mr Dautbegovic said that villagers went to the aircraft in 1943 to retrieve tyres, which they used to make shoes. The aircraft descended into a wetland area and had since been forgotten about as it sank below the surface. It is unclear what, if anything, remains to be found.

Mr Dautbegovic said that he recently told the story to a friend, who located it and proceeded to sell off parts of it as scrap metal.

“At the location, we found a part of the airplane radio, and in the scrap metal market, a piece of metal with some numbers and word “Spitfire” inscribed. I have issued a public call to protect the wreckage, because I am sure that it is of historic value,” Osman Mesan, a local journalist, said.

RADMANOVIC AND ADNAN DISCUSSED COOPERATION BETWEEN BOSNIA AND MALAYSIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic met with the Malaysian Ambassador to Bosnia Zulkifli Adnan.They talked about bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and expressed the need for improvement in relations, especially in economic segment.

Radmanovic expressed hopes that bilateral relations between Bosnia and Malaysia will be improved in the future.

He stated that Bosnia's interest is to strengthen cooperation with Malaysia in all social segments, from politic to culture, and especially economy.

GERMAN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY DEKRA ARBEIT STARTS OPERATING IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) - The services of the German temporary employment agency DEKRA Arbeit are available now at Sarajevo Unitic Centre. Dekra Savjetovanje d.o.o. is one of the four units of Stuttgart-based Dekra GmbH, and it will provide services of temporary employment and human resources consulting.

Dekra GmbH operates 95 offices, 62 education centres and 35,000 vehicle inspection centres all over the world, and its annual revenue is EUR 1.3 billion.

THE BIGGEST SHOPPING MALL IN BOSNIA TO OPEN ON FEBRUARY 29

ZENICA, Bosnia (February 16,2008) - The owner of Dzananovic d.o.o. Zenica announced that the biggest Bosnian shopping mall will open in Zenica on February 29, after 22 months of construction.

31 Bosnian companies were involved in the project, he said. Around 1,000 people will be employed in the shopping mall and a hotel next to it.

The five-star hotel is featuring 87 rooms, four suits, two conference halls, a wellness centre, a swimming pool, etc. Investors expect up to 10,000 shoppers at the mall a day.