EUROPEAN UNION WANTS TO SIGN SAA WITH BOSNIA IN APRIL

BRUSSELS, Belgium (March 12,2008) – The European Union has urged Bosnian authorities to "make further efforts" if Bosnia is to sign the stabilisation and Associaation Agreement (SAA) with the European Union next month.

A meeting of EU Foreign Ministers urged that, "important underlying problems remain and called upon all parties in Bosnia to work together in order to overcome them as soon as possible.”

“I welcome these conclusions on Bosnia whose leaders I met in Brussels,” the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said after the meeting.

“I trust the country will be able to settle the remaining problems so it can achieve the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), in April,” he added. The EU's Council of Ministers, too, concluded that Bosnia has made progress with regards to the SAA, and reiterated its full support to Bosnia's EU perspective.

The SAA is widely seen as the first step towards European Union membership. Bosnia's bid to sign the agreement was hampered for months, as the country's political leaders debated how to reform, streamline and eventually unify two ethnically-based police forces.

Police reform is an essential condition for Bosnia for signing the SAA with the EU and late last year, Bosnia's political leaders reached a political deal on reforms known as The Mostar Declaration.

The EU also said it shares the concerns voiced at last month's meeting of the Brussels-based Peace Implementation Council (PIC), “over challenges to the Dayton Peace Agreement.”

The body is responsible for assessing Bosnia's compliance with the 1995 Dayton peace accord that ended the 1992-1995 Serbian,montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

“The Council welcomed the PIC Steering Board's unanimous decision that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) will remain in place and continue to carry out its mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement until necessary objectives and conditions as set out in the PIC Steering Board Declaration are met,” it was concluded.

At the PIC meeting, it was decided to extend the mandate of the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR), until a series of political benchmarks are met.

“The Council confirmed its agreement to the goals of transition and ownership and reiterated its readiness to continue its engagement,” the document notes.

The conclusions on Bosnia were the only document formally adopted by EU Foreign Ministers when they discussed the Southeastern Europe during the meeting.
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INFLATION RATE IN BOSNIA WAS 1,4 PERCENT IN JANUARY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – Prices of products and services in personal use in Bosnia measured by the index of consumer prices in January 2008 in contrast to January 2007 show the inflation rate of 1.4 %, stated the Bosnian Statistics Bureau.

Increase of consumer prices in January resulted with a higher inflation rate on yearly level. Prices in January 2008 comparing to January 2007 are in average higher by 6.2 %. 12 months growth of prices in average was 1.9 %.
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SILAJDZIC AND RYCROFT DISCUSSED PEACE IMPLEMENTATION COUNCIL'S CONCLUSIONS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – The Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic met in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with British Ambassador in Bosnia, Matthew Ryrcoft and discussed the conclusions of the Peace Implementation Council Managing Board meeting which was recently held in Brussels and about Bosnia's perspectives in the EU integration processes.

Ambassador Rycroft underlined that the remaining conditions for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the european Union shall be fulfilled.

President Silajdzic stated that signing the SAA and the full membership in the EU has no alternative for Bosnia and that this is the only way to secure future perspective for all Bosnian citizens.
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BOSNIAN STATE COURT INDICTS SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL VINKO KONDIC FOR GENOCIDE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – The Bosnian State Court confirmed yesterdy the indictment against Serbian war criminal Vinko Kondic for organising a group of Serbians living in Bosnia and "abetting them to commit genocide and crimes against humanity and war crimes," on the territory of the Bosnian town of Kljuc,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The 22-count indictment charges Serbian war criminal Vinko Kondic with having one of the "key roles in the implementation of a joint criminal enterprise", and with having "planned, prepared, initiated, ordered and committed or failed to undertake the necessary measures to prevent or sanction the perpetration of criminal offences."

The realisation of the joint criminal enterprise started with the Serbian forces taking control over the villages and settlements in Kljuc municipality. It continued with mass murder,unlawful captivation, detention, beating, torture, detention in inhumane conditions, forcible resettlement and deportation of the Bosnian civilians from their homes, the indictment states.

The indictment further said that the goal of the joint criminal enterprise was to "realise and implement the (Serbian Democratic Party) SDS strategic plan," whose aim was to create areas in Bosnia from which Bosnian and Croatian population would be eliminated and permanently and forcibly removed."

The Prosecution considers that Serbian war criminal Vinko Kondic "deliberately participated in the mistreatment system", because he was aware of the existence of the concentration camps in Kljuc area, as well as of systematic killing, mistreatment and deportation of the Bosnian civilians, without doing anything to stop or prevent the mistreatment or punish the perpetrators.

Under Serbian war criminal Vinko Kondic's command members of the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations participated in arrests, examination, psychological and mental abuse,mass murder and the detention of Bosnian civilians in the concentration camps established in this Bosnian town during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The indictment states that, from May 27 to the end of August of 1992, Bosnian civilians from Kljuc, Sanica, Krasulja, Ramici, Prhovi, Velagici and other Bosnian villages and settlements were taken away by the genocidal Serbian aggressor and detained in the elementary school building in Sanica, Nikola Mackic School building in Kljuc, PSC Kljuc, the former railway station in Sanica, the football stadium in Kljuc and the machines factory in Halinovsko Vrelo, where the Bosnian civilians were tortured.

The indictment further states that, on July 10, 1992 the Serbian aggressor detained more than 200 Bosnian civilians from the villages and hamlets in Kljuc area in the school building in Donji Biljani. It further states that, following the torture, these Bosnian civilians were taken out and mass murdered. On that occasion, "at least 219" Bosnian civilians were murdered by the genocidal Serbian aggressor.

Bodies of the genocide victims from Kljuc area were found in "Bunarevi 1", "Zablece", "Vucije poljane", "Crvena zemlja" and "Laniste 1" mass graves.

As per the current legal provisions, Serbian war criminal Vinko Kondic is due to attend a plea hearing before the Bosnian State Court within the next 15 days. He is currently held in custody.
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BOSNIAN STATE COURT INDICTS SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MOMIR SAVIC FOR TORTURE,RAPE AND MASS MURDER

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – The Bosnian State Court indicted Serbian war criminal Momir Savic yesterday for the mass murder, rape and torture of Bosnian civilians in eastern Bosnia during the 1992-95 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is accused of persecution, murder, imprisonment, rape, torture and other inhuman acts against Bosnian civilians in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad from April to September 1992, the Bosnian State Court said in a statement.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic was a member of a genocidal paramilitary unit of the Serbians living in Bosnia formed when the Uzice Corps of the Serbian aggressor's formations from Serbia attacked Bosnia.

The Bosnian State Court said Serbian war criminal Momir Savic and several other Serbian aggressor's soldiers had taken 10 Bosnian civilians from their homes in a Visegrad neighbourhood in May 1992, tortured them and then executed them.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic took part in other, similar war crimes and once, "when one Bosnian civilian tried to run away, shot at him ... and deprived him of his life," the indictment said.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is also accused of repeatedly raping a Bosnian woman in her house from June to September 1992.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is also accused in the indictment of taking part in the torture and the mass murder of Bosnian civilians from villages around the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad, and of plundering and burning their houses during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.
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NATO'S EXERCISE "JOINT EFFORT 2009" TO TAKE PLACE IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – Bosnia will be the country host of a grand military exercise “Joint Effort 2009”, which will assembly NATO member countries from the Partnership for Peace Program (PFP), as well as other countries, Dereck Chappel, NATO Mission to Bosnia Spokesperson stated at a press conference yesterday.

Chappel announced, emphasizing that the exercise is a tribute to the efforts Bosnia has made in the implementation of the defence reform, that the exercise has been sponsored by the US Army’s European command since 1995.

This year, the exercise will take place in Germany. Over 1.500 participants will be engaged in the exercise, from 40 countries. Bosnia will attend the exercise in Germany as an observer and a participant, Chappel announced.

”This will be the first time such an exercise is held in a NATO’s PFP country. Currently, we are engaged in the exercise preparation processes with the Bosnian authorities”, Chappel stated.
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CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS TO FILE 100.000 LAWSUITS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 12,2008) – The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors has filed around 12.000 individual lawsuits so far for unlawful imprisonment and torture during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.In the next two years it is expected that the number of these lawsuits will reach 100.000.

”Currently, we have around 53.000 members out of which 12.000 filed law suits, mostly against (the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia) RS”, stated yesterday the Deputy President of the Association, Sacir Srebrenica.

He pointed out that those concentration camp survivors that now live in Diaspora, mainly Australia, USA, Canada, Western Europe are joining the Association and that they can expect around 50.000 new members.

In February 2007 the Association adopted the project of reparation and remuneration based on which a decision was brought to sue both entities. Law suits project was since the September last year partially financed by the FBiH Government. Law suits were filed also against Croatia and Serbia and negotiations are undergoing with Montenegro.

Under "international standards", the concentration camp survivors from Bosnia will be paid 70 Bosnian Marks (55 US Dollars) for a day spent in a concentration camp,the Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated.

“The FBiH entity government approved around 42.000 Bosnian Marks in order to help the concentration camp survivors of lower social status and we gave a subsidy for every law suit in the amount of 15 Bosnian marks and concluded a contract with medical examiner which shall complete the case of every detainee when their case comes out at the court”, stated Srebrenica.

He also added that according to the project applied with FBiH entity government. The Association received 100.000 Bosnian Marks for medical examining.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors has the lists of all filed lawsuits and the cases are handed to the lawyer teams.

First lawyer who accepted to represent the concentration camp survivors from Bosnia was Josip Sladic from Sisak,Croatia. Now there are already several lawyer teams representing the concentration camp survivors in Mostar, Zenica, Tuzla and Teslic.
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BOSNIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DELEGATION ATTENDED SEECP MEETING IN BULGARIA

SOFIA, Bulgaria (March 12,2008) – The Bosnian Ministry of Defence Delegation of member countries of the South East European Co-operation Process (SEECP).The Bosnian Delegation was led by the Bosnian Minister of Defence Selmo Cikotic.

Along Bosnia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania,Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey also participated.Bosnia is a member of SEECP since February 2001.

"This meeting is the most representative and authentic voice of the Balkan region. What is more, it sends a clear political message that the countries from this region want and are able to develop regional cooperation," the Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev told the meeting .

Bulgaria firmly supports NATO's "open door policy" with respect to its enlargement in Southeast Europe, Minister Stanishev said yesterday.

"It is time to make decisions for our common security, and these require joint measures," he said, adding that all of the Southeast European states clearly aspire to integration into the European Union.

The SEECP was launched in 1996 on Bulgaria's initiative to strengthen regional stability, economic relations and judicial cooperation.
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