WAR CRIMES DEPARTMENT OPENS IN SREBRENICA TODAY

SREBRENICA, Bosnia (March 5,2008) - Boris Grubesic,Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office Spokesperson announced that the War Crimes Department Branch in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica will begin working today, March 5.

He emphasized that the prosecutors will work in accordance to the needs. Information on war crimes will be assembled here and a phone line will open for anonymous calls on war crimes and their perpetrators.

Governments of USA, Holland, Norway, Turkey, Poland and Switzerland financialy helped the opening of the Department.

In July 1995 the genocidal Serbian aggressor mass murdered up to 10,000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica.The Srebrenica massacre has been deemed by the UN war crimes tribunal and the International Court of Justice to have constituted genocide. Thousands of bodies of the genocide victims have been uncovered from about 60 mass graves around Srebenica.
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BOSNIA'S EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONS PROCESSES CONTINUE EVEN AFTER CHIEF NEGOTIATOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN DISMISSED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 5,2008) – European integrations processes in Bosnia have continued in spite of the fact that the Bosnian State Budget for 2008 does not foresee funds for the Office of the Bosnian Chief Negotiator with the European Union.

The Office was in charge of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) negotiations and that the job had been completed in 2006.

Since then, political conditions are the only task to be fulfilled to enable signing of the SAA between Bosnia and the European Union.

Igor Davidovic, the Bosnian Chief Negotiator with the EU, dismissed his team and the office and returned to his position at the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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BOSNIAN MINISTER OF SECURITY TARIK SADOVIC AND NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR JAN BRAATHU DISCUSSED BOSNIA'S NATO ACCESSION PROCESS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 5,2008) - The Bosnian Minister of Security Tarik Sadovic met with the Norwegian Ambassador to Bosnia Jan Braathu in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. They discussed Bosnia’s NATO accession process and emphasized the importance of accelerating the process, as a guarantee of peace and stability in the country.

The Norwegian Ambassador congratulated Bosnia on the progress it had accomplished lately, stressing the role of the Bosnian Ministry of Security in this process.

Sadovic expressed high hopes for the NATO April summit in Bucharest, Romania. He expects Bosnia to join NATO’s two major programs: Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) or Membership Action Plan.
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EUROPEAN UNION TO UNVEIL NEW BALKANS REPPROCHEMENT MEASURES TODAY

BRUSSELS, Belgium (March 5,2008) - The European Commission will unveil today proposals aimed at encouraging development in the southeastern Europe.The measures, to be presented by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, will outline Brussels' "next steps for promoting the European course of the Western Balkans region".

The countries concerned are Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and the genocidal Serbia.

"It is important under present circumstances to maintain the peace and stability of the region," according to a draft of the commission's "communication".

"This can be best achieved by making the EU perspective as visible and tangible as possible for all the peoples of the region," the text said, adding that "the EU is mobilising all available policy instruments" for the southeastern Europe.

Croatia and Macedonia are candidates to join the EU, although Skopje has not been set a date to start negotiations, while Albania and Montenegro have signed trade and aid pacts seen as the first step toward membership.

Bosnia , meanwhile, has initialled the accord,known as a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and are expected to sign in coming months if they meet the criteria, notably on arresting war crimes suspects.

The commission's new plans include initiatives for promoting the development of civil society, including in the areas of visas, scholarships and community support.

They are also aimed at enhancing economic and social development, and would see a sharp increase in lending to the region by the European Investment Bank.

The EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot is also expected to present a project to extend Europe's main road and rail arteries to the six countries, as well as Kosovo, another official said.
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RETRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MARKO SAMARDZIJA POSTPONED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 5,2008) – Serbian war criminal Marko Samardzija, charged with war crimes committed against Bosnian civilians in Kljuc municipality,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia, failed to appear before the Appellate Chamber of the Bosnian State Court yesterday for a hearing on when his retrial will commence.

According to the explanation given by Defence attorney Zlatko Knezevic, Serbian war criminal Marko Samardzija is gravely sick and he is undergoing medical treatment in a hospital in Prijedor.

'The indictee suffers from prostate cancer and some carcinogenic deformations have also been detected on his bladder," Knezevic said, handing the relevant medical documentation over to the Trial Chamber.

In November 2006, the Bosnian State Court sentenced Serbian war criminal Marko Samardzija, by a first instance verdict to 26 years imprisonment for crimes committed against Bosnian civilians in Kljuc municipality in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

However in May 2007, the Appellate Chamber of the Bosnian State Court quashed the first instance verdict by partially upholding appeals filed by the indictee and his Defence attorney, and ordered a retrial.

The indictment alleges that Samardzijc participated, as member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia, in the deportation and murder of a large number of Bosnian civilians from Brkici and Balagica Brdo villages.

Serbian war criminal Marko Samardzija was detained between March 21, 2005 to early October, 2007 after which his custody was terminated and replaced with certain prohibitive measures, including an obligation to report to the Public Safety Centre in Prijedor twice a week and a ban on visiting the Kljuc municipality area.

Attorney Knezevic told the Appellate Chamber that he was "convinced that it was not the indictee's intention to evade the trial" but, considering the severity of his disease, he would take a long time to recover.

The continuation of the trial will depend on the indictee's health.
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CIKOTIC: MILITARY REFORMS IN BOSNIA MAY SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 5,2008) – The Bosnian Minister of Defence Selmo Cikotic said that it is expected that Bosnia will be awarded in Bucharest, at the NATO Summit, from April 2 to 4, by its military allies, for the military reforms which can, as stated, serve as an example to the others in the regions.

”It is our intention to present ourselves by the April Summit as a country determined to be mentioned in the final document of the summit as a user of one out of the two NATO programs: either in the Intensive Dialogue Program or in the Fulltime Membership Action Program”, Minister Cikotic stated.

Bosnia, if all the Bosnian political forces are involved, have large chances of becoming a full NATO member, although we are aware that such a status in this moment is too far at the horizon. However, we are getting closer to it with every new step we make”, Cikotic said.

”All the reforms we have been implementing and which we will continue implementing are not made for the sake of the allies, but for us, and for our longterm safety. Of we continue with the activities with this tempo, verification of our progress will not lack”, the Bosnian efence Minister Selmo Cikotic stated.
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EXHIBIT OF SACRAL ARTEFACTS OPENS IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 5,2008) – Ivan Ravlic’s exhibition entitled “Exhibition of Sacral and Religious Artefacts of Faiths in Bosnia” opened in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo at the Collegium Artisticum Gallery, in presence of the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic and Mayor of Sarajevo Semiha Borovac.

The exhibition consists of the artefacts used in sacral rituals, traditional clothing, and other artefacts depicting Islamic, Catholic, Jewish and Orthodox tradition and habits.

”The exhibition is aimed to bring the peoples together. We are often self-centred. I am very happy that this kind of a gallery is a place where all people entered with open hearts amd minds”, Friar Ravlic said.

”This is not only religious treasure. This is our culture and tradition, the history of Bosnia This is something we all, religious or not, can be proud of”, President Komsic said.

The exhibition was organized with support and under sponsorship of the President of the Bosnian Presidency Zeljko Komsic, Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric,the Bosnian Ministry of Civil Affairs, the FBIH Entity Minister of Culture Gavrilo Grahovac, the FBIH Entity Minister of Tourism Nevenko Herceg, City of Sarajevo and US Embassy to Bosnia.

The exhibition will remain open until March 31.
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