QATAR DONATES 2,3 MILLION DOLLARS FOR HUSREF-BEG'S LIBRARY RECONSTRUCTION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 24,2008) – Qatar has donated 2.336.372 US Dollars for the reconstruction of the Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library located in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.Bakir Izetbegovic, coordinator for construction of the Library, said that internal design of the Library would be agreed upon in a few days.Izetbegovic emphasized that this donation followed after the leader of the Bosnian Islamic Community Reis-Ul-Ulema Mustafa Ef. Ceric visited Qatar last week.

Qatar has been the most important financer of the Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library since the beginning of the construction activities. Sadly, donations were not distributed for a while because the library’s construction had been temporarily seized.

Gazi Husref-Beg’s Library was built in 1537 and is one of the most important libraries in Europe.

Gazi Husref-Beg (1480–1541),was a beg in the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 16th century. He was an effective military strategist, and the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo.

He was born in Serres, Greece, to a Bosnian father and a Turkish mother, who was the daughter of the Sultan. Thus, Gazi Husref-Beg was Sultan Beyazid II's grandson. A brilliant strategist and politician, in 1521 he became the governor of the Ottoman province of Bosnia.

Today it is difficult to imagine Sarajevo, or even Bosnia, as we know it without the contributions of Gazi Husref-Beg. He is remembered chiefly as the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo, and as a Bosnian national hero. Thousands visit his tomb and give a prayer every year.
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SWEDISH, DUTCH AND U.S. AMBASSADORS LAUNCHED MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 24,2008) - The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English, the Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia Lars-Erik Wingren and the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bosnia Karel E.T.I. Vosskuhler have launched an expansion of the jointly funded, $30-million program for the Bosnian municipalities. The program is the second phase of the US-Swedish, $20-million Governance Accountability Project (GAP).

The second phase was launched at a conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that brought together the mayors of GAP’s 56 partner municipalities.

GAP assisted 41 municipalities throughout Bosnia so far to build their capacities and improve service provision to citizens.The development of One-Stop-Shops (OSSs) was a GAP flagship activity intended to provide efficient, user-friendly and transparent service delivery, increase citizens’ satisfaction and improve trust in local government and democracy.

Since December 2005, when the first GAP-supported OSS was inaugurated, an additional 40 citizen service centers have been opened, benefiting some 1.5 million Bosnian citizens.

Over the next five years, an additional 30 municipalities will participate in similar activities in the second phase of GAP. As a unique example of donor coordination, GAP will continue to establish OSSs, improve budgeting and financial management, and advance urban planning and zoning, USAID said.
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GENOCIDAL SERBIAN CREATURE IN BOSNIA (RS) THREATENS SECESSION

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia (February 24,2008) - The genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia "the RS" has threatened to hold a referendum on secession from Bosnia if a majority of U.N. member states and the European Union recognise Kosovo's independence.

Such a move would put into question the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

Washington was the first to condemn such an initiative.

"Bosnia is a sovereign and independent state and its territorial integrity and sovereignty are an undeniable fact," the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English told Bosnian daily Oslobodjenje.

"The three-and-a-half-year long war was expected to provide an answer to the question if someone had a right to secede from Bosnia. Dayton (peace agreement) solved the issue.There is no right to secession," the U.S. Ambassador stated.

The British ambassador to Bosnia, Matthew Rycroft, said in Banja Luka that his country had recognized the independence of Kosovo. After talking with the prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS) Milorad Dodik,Ambassador Rycroft stated that "RS will not secede from Bosnia, nor would the status of this entity change".

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic stated in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that: "Resolution against Kosovo independence proclamation adopted by the RS entity parliament, has no legal effect, for entities are not states and have no such jurisdiction."

The International Community's High Representative in Bosnia,Miroslav Lajcak stressed that Bosnia is an internationally recognized state whose sovereignty and territorial integrity is guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement.

"Entities of Bosnia have no right to secede from Bosnia under the Dayton Peace Agreement. The constitutional structure of Bosnia,including the existence of the entities, can only be changed in accordance with the amendment procedure prescribed in the Bosnian Constitution," Lajcak stated.

The High Representative expects that the Bosnian authorities will fulfill their obligations and maintain public order.

Political analyst Srecko Latal did not hide his concerns.

"If they really proceeded with organising a referendum, that would destabilise Bosnia further because the international community would clearly not allow it," Latal said.

Other analysts share similar views, stressing the international community should, despite opposite calls by some local politicians, maintain its presence in the country.

"The international community will have to stay for a longer period of time in Bosnia," political analyst Ivan Sijakovic said.

For Emil Habul, another Sarajevo-based analyst, the parliament of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS) tried to "take up positions for the future."

"RS secession is an idea that has been smoldering since 1992, but Dodik and his government understand that it is impossible to achieve," Habul said.

Political analyst Tanja Topic warned that Bosnia is "unstable and fragile." But she stressed the Southeastern European country's "borders will be inviolable" due to the "clear position of the international community."

"Bosnia is an international protectorate and as long as there is a strong presence of the international community a referendum in RS is a big political illusion," Topic said.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT ADOPTED SINGLE LAW FOR ALL SALARIES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 24,2008) - The Bosnian government has adopted bills about the Fiscal Council and the salaries of public servants and government officials. A law on Fiscal Council is one of the EU’s conditions in an effort to establish a unified business environment in Bosnia.

The law on salaries in the public sector regulates the issue in such a way that the same type of work will be paid the same, regardless on the government institution paying the salary.

As the Bosnian Minister of Finance mDragan Vrankic said, the salaries of all public servants will be calculated according to a single law. Their basic salaries will be determined on the basis of the national average salary.

According to the proposal adopted , the Bosnian Prime Minister will be paid 4,700 Bosnian Marks and the the Bosnian Finance minister 4,200 a month. The highest salaries will be paid to members of the Bosnian Presidency (around 5,000 Bosnian Marks a month).
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EU WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL POSITION ON BOSNIAN POLICE REFORM YET

BRUSSELS, Belgium (February 24,2008) - The European Commission has not made an analysis yet of the police reforms laws just adopted by the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives, and therefore cannot state whether they comply with the EU principles, Krisztina Nagy - spokesperson of the EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

Nagy also said how the European Commission expects the Mostar Declaration and Police Reform Action Plan to be implemented. OHR’s spokesperson said the Office would state its final position after the police reform laws are adopted by both parliament houses. If the signal from EU is positive, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Bosnia and European Union could be signed in April.
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