BOSNIAN STATE DELEGATION LED BY PRESIDENT HARIS SILAJDZIC ATTENDS 11TH SUMMIT OF ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE

DAKAR, Senegal (March 13,2008) – The Bosnian President Dr Haris Silajdžić is leading the Bosnian state delegation participating in the 11th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

The Summit will be held on March 13 and 14 (Thursday and Friday) in Dakar,Senegal.

During the Summit, President Silajdžić will have a series of bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments, the Organization of the Islamic Conference members.

He invited the Bosnian media to cover the entire course of the 11th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Dakar, where several resolutions and a final communiqué will be made.
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RUSSIA VOICES CONCERN OVER CLAIMS OF ANTI-BOSNIAN CAMPAIGN

MOSCOW, Russia (March 13,2008) – The Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday it is concerned over claims made by the Bosnian authorities that Russia has launched a diplomatic and media campaign against the country.

The Bosnian Ambassador to Russia Enver Halilovic was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday over the statements made by the Bosnian state officials.

"The Bosnian Ambassador was informed of Russia's alarm over highly controversial statements by a number of officials in Bosnia," the Russian Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Ministry said the accusations ran against current trends in relations between Russia and Bosnia.

The Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic stated recently that a wide campaign is being led lately against Bosnia in some diplomatic circles of the Russian Federation, the state media, as well as in academic circles.
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BOSNIAN ASSOCIATION OF CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS AND YOUTH MOVEMENT OF BOSNIA AGAINST BULIDING OF A MONUMENT TO SERBIAN FASCISTS NEAR SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 13,2008) – Youth Movement of BiH severely condemns the announced erection of the monument to the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers on Zlatiste near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo because is not a piety towards the dead but a clear provocation of Sarajevo citizens which has a purpose of destabilizing security situation in Bosnia.

The Bosnian Youth Movement explains that locality of Zlatiste for the citizens of Sarajevo is a symbol of death and war crimes, from which snipers and heavy and light artillery of the Serbian fascist aggressor bombed and killed Bosnian civilians during the siege of Sarajevo and under the command of convicted Serbian war criminals Dragomir Milosevic and Stanislav Galic.

The Bosnian Youth Movement called on the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak "to stop the building of this provocative object, in the same way as High Representative Paddy Ashdown forbid for the Sarajevo Airport to carry the name of Alija izetbegovic”.

The Bosnian Youth Movement also invited authorities in the East Sarajevo to reach reasonable decision and not to allow the building of such provocative object which could lead to escalation of new clashes and endanger painstakingly achieved peace in Bosnia, stated the press release of the movement.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors has called on citizens of Sarajevo, the Bosnian state authorities, representatives of soldiers and especially genocide victims not to allow the building of memorial on Zlatiste near Sarajevo, which should be a memorial for the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers.

"If it were a normal memorial, we would not have anything against it since every people has the right to commemorate its victims, but building a cross, 26 meters high and 18 meters wide on Trebevic which will be lighted and could be seen from all parts of Sarajevo is to put it mildly a provocation of citizens of Sarajevo." the Association said.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated that this is illegal, immoral and shameful act.

It is especially painful since this monument is being built in the name of Serbian aggressor's formations which held the City of Sarajevo under long and terrifying siege for four long years, during which they committed serious war crimes for which their commanders were convicted in the Hague, the Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated in the press release.

The Bosnian Association of Concentration Camp Survivors stated that building of this shameful monument shall destabilize Bosnia and that is the reason they will send a request to the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia to use his powers to forbid the building of this shameful and provocative object.
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TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL NOVAK DJUKIC BEGINS BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 13,2008) – The trial of Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic, accused of crimes against Bosnian civilians committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia has started before the Bosnian State Court by reading the indictment and introductory speeches.

The Bosnian state Prosecutor's Office alleges that, during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia, on May 25, 1995, in the capacity of Commander of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic ordered the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers, located on Cerovo Brdo, Vrbak village at the mountain of Ozren, to fire a missile at a location in the centre of the eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla known as „Tuzlanska Kapija.“

As a result of the explosion of the missile, 71 Bosnian civilians were killed while 240 sustained injuries.Tuzla was declared a safe zone by a Resolution of the United Nations Secutiy Council issued on May 6, 1993.

Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic was arrested last year in the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka by the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency’s (SIPA).

Indictment against Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic was raised on December 27,2007. It was confirmed bythe Bosnian State Court on January 4,2008.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor Mirsad Strika announced that the evidence will prove that the accused committed the crime he has been indicted of. He added that the shelling of Tuzla continued even after the May 25 massacre and that the grenade was fired from the Serbian aggressor’s positions, which belonged to a unit under a direct command of Djukic.

The Prosecution announced that a number of witnesses will take the stand and that the opinions of court experts and other material evidence will be presented.

Hearing of the first three witnesses will take place before the Bosnian State Court on March 18.
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NEW EUFOR CHIEF OF STAFF IN CHARGE IN CAMP BUTMIR

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 13,2008) - Brigadier General Robert Löwenstein of the Luftwaffe has taken over from Brigadier Pablo Bermudo as Chief of Staff (COS) for the Commander of the EUFOR Headquarters in Sarajevo. The new COS addressed staff at Camp Butmir, and said:

“I am very honoured to take charge of this key operational role in the Balkans. EUFOR’s mission is to contribute to the safe and secure environment in Bosnia . My task as Chief of Staff to the Commander, General Villalain, is to manage EUFOR’s military operations and enable the handover of more and more responsibility to the country’s own armed forces and other respective agencies.

“Our ongoing military presence in Bosnia is allowing the International Community to carry out their responsibilities effectively, including the support of the Bosnian authorities in the fight against organized crime as well as the support to the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. This international commitment to a long-term stability in the country and the region has the visible support of our presence. I am looking forward to working closely and trustfully with the armed forces and other agencies in the country,” Löwenstein said.
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NEW VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLATES BY THE END OF 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 13,2008) - The Citizen Identification Protection System (CIPS) Project Implementation Directorate announced that the replacement of existing vehicle registration plates in Bosnia would begin by the end of this year.

A tender for the procurement of non-personalized license plates is expected to be announced some time in April, the Directorate’s spokesperson said.

She pointed out that a new vehicle registration concept had been adopted, in conformity with the Road Transportation Security Act. A sticker validating a vehicle’s registration and displaying the registration expiry date is also one of the novelties.
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