POLICE REFORM BILLS SUBMITTED AGAIN TO BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21,2008) - The Bosnian Parliament's Commission for Defence and Security declared negatively yesterday on Bill on direction for coordination of police bodies and agencies for support to the Bosnian police Structure (the second commission phase) and on the Bill on Independent and Supervisory Bodies of the Bosnian police structure.

The Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives did not adopt these reports and ordered the Commission on Wednesday to revise draft laws and deliver new report to the House.

The Commission submitted the bills yesterday to the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives for the second time.

The House of Representatives should decide on this issue on April 3.
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BOSNIAN PRESIDENT HARIS SILAJDZIC MET WITH INTERNATIONAL MEMBER OF HIGH JUDICIAL AND PROSECUTION COUNCIL SVEN URKE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21,2008) - The Bosnian President Dr Haris Silajdžić has met with Mr. Sven Marius Urke, the International Member of the Bosnian High Judicial and Prosecution Council. The main topic of the conversation was the need to continue legal reform and preserve reforms that were achieved over the last few years.

Mr. Urke especially turned to the need to include people from the administration of justice and other experts in the Bosnian constitutional reform, once the process has begun, in order to ensure the continuation of reforms in the legal sector.

President Silajdžić agreed with this statement and pointed out that he personally and the SBiH Party have been actively supporting the participation of legal experts in the constitutional reform process in order to avoid bad solutions such as the April package when that kind of help was almost left out.

Mr. Urke also reiterated the need to preserve legal system’s independence and asked President Silajdžić to support efforts for avoiding political influence on that system trough the proposed Law on salaries.

President Silajdžić said that he supports this stance and believes that the salaries of judges and prosecutors in Bosnia should continue to be based on the existing law from 2006, and the proposed law should only refer to the employed in the non-legal institutions of Bosnia.

President Silajdžić promised his influence in changing the law in these and other sections, so that different categories of the Bosnian state officials would be treated appropriately.
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BOSNIAN STATE COURT EVACUATED YESTERDAY DUE TO BOMB THREAT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21,2008) - The building of the Bosnian State Court was evacuated yesterday afternoon due to a false bomb threat, the Court officials confirmed. All trials and other processes before the court were interrupted and all the people in the building were immediately called to leave, according to the Bosnian State Court's spokeswoman, Emanuela Hodzic.

Around 1500 CET (1400 GMT) all people present in the Court of Bosnia of Herzegovina, the State Prosecution and the High Judicial and Prosecutors Council premises were asked, via the public address system, to urgently leave the building.

The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) deployed its troops to the building along with the forces of the Interior Ministry of the FBIH entity, SIPA spokeswoman Selma Delalic said.

"Our teams are currently conducting activities to identify the author of the threat," Delalic said.

The Bosnian State Court, placed in Novi Grad municipality in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, hosts the top trials, including those for war crimes, corruption and organized crime.

A number of foreign prosecutors and judges have also been employed at the Court.
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BOSANSKI BROD OIL REFINERY REPORTS A LOSS

BOSANSKI BROD, Bosnia (March 21,2008) – The Bosanski Brod oil refinery has reported a net loss of 64.1 million Bosnian Marks by the end of 2007. Its revenue last year totalled 21.1 million Bosnian Marks, while expenditures amounted to 85.2 million Bosnian Marks.

The assets of the refinery as of December 31, 2007 were 519 million Bosnian Marks, and its capital was worth 195 million Bosnian Marks.

The unaudited financial statement also shows 113.6 million Bosnian Marks of long-term and 195 million Bosnian Marks of short-term liabilities by the end of 2007. Russian NefteGazInCor is the majority shareholder (79 per cent).
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BOSNIA IS STILL A MAJOR IMPORTER OF MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21,2008) – Although Bosnia has significantly increased the outputs of its dairy industry and milk producers over the past few years, the country is still a major importer of milk and dairy products.

According to information provided by the Bosnian Foreign Trade Chamber, the value of these imports reached 116 million Bosnian Marks last year. At the same time, milk and dairy export was worth 41 million Bosnian Marks.

Although the number of cows has halved compared to the pre-war period, the milk production is much above the 1990 output.
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BOSNIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KOSOVO,FOR NOW

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21.2008) – The Bosnian Foreign Affairs Minister Sven Alkalaj has confirmed that Bosnia will not recognize the independence of Kosovo,for now. He said so after Croatia and Hungary recognized the new country.

Minister Alkalaj explained that Bosnia will not make decisions which could affect her stability, emphasizing that the focus right now is on association with the EU, the SAA signing, and membership in the NATO.

Until now, 33 countries have recognized Kosovo, including 18 countries of the EU. Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria announced in a joint statement on Wednesday the recognition of Kosovo independence.
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ANNUAL UNEMPLOYMENT IN BOSNIA DOWN 3,6 PER CENT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21.2008) – The average monthly net salary paid in January amounted to 677 Bosnian Marks what indicates nominal fall of 0.6%. - The number of unemployed in January 2008 amounted to 516,775. It was 3.6% or 11,882 lower than in January 2007; these are the data of the Bosnian State Statistics Agency.

188,036 highly-qualified and qualified persons were unemployed. There were 176,275 unqualified unemployed persons and 115,873 with high-school education.

In January there were 750,856 employed in Bosnia. Compared to December 2007, this is an increase of 9.2%. The average monthly net salary paid in January amounted to 677 Bosnian Marks what indicates nominal fall of 0.6%. The average gross salary was 1,000 Bosnian Marks or 10% more than in January 2007.
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ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TRAIAN BACESCU VISITED BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 21.2008) - The Romanian President Traian Basescu said yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that Romania strongly supported Bosnia's progress towards closer ties with the European Union and NATO.

Romanian President Basescu, who arrived in a one-day official visit to Bosnia, said after meeting with his Bosnian counterpart Haris Silajdzic that Bosnia with some more effort would have a chance to access soon Intensified Dialogue (ID) with NATO, and to sign the rapprochement agreement with the EU.

Bosnian and Romanian presidents also talked how to improve economic cooperation between the two countries.

While in Bosnia, the Romanian President Basescu also to met with Bosnia's Prime Minister, members of the Bosnian Parliament and the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak.
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