SILAJDZIC: MOSTAR DECLARATION AND SARAJEVO ACTION PLAN MUST BE IMPLEMENTED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 10,2008) – The SBiH Party (Party for Bosnia) remains true to its position that the police reform is necessary and supports the Mostar Declaration, the Sarajevo Action Plan and the three EU principles in order to reach the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the European Union, stated the President of the Bosnian State Presidency and the SBIH Party leader Haris Silajdzic.

"We are all unanimous that Bosnia shall gain a lot with signing the SAA, that we will have better investments, and that the stock will rise…”, stated President Silajdzic.

He also added that the Mostar Declaration and the Sarajevo Action Plan must be implemented and that all politicial parties in Bosnia must honor what they have signed regarding the Bosnian police reform .
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WORK GROUPS TRAINING FOR HARMONIZATION OF LEGAL REGULATIONS WITH EU

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 10,2008) - The Bosnian Direction for the EU Integrations organized yesterday a seminar for members of work groups for harmonization of legal regulations in BIH with acquis communautaire (complete legal body of the EU) especially in the light of obligations Bosnia is taking over by signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.

Head of Direction Osman Topcsgic stated that integration program was presented yesterday.These are about 1.200 regulations and directives, ways of take over of these regulations and work group trainings.

"These work groups are the core of expert resources of our country for taking over the acquis in this stage and future work when we receive the candidate status, prepare answers to the questionnaire, negotiations on chapters… The idea is to form expert groups, to educate them for the future period,” stated Topcagic.
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LAJCAK MET WITH UKRANIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 10,2008) - The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia, Miroslav Lajčák, met the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kostjantyn Yelisjejev, in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Lajčák briefed the Ukranian Deputy Foreign Minister on the political situation in Bosnia focusing in particular on the country’s EU perspective. He underlined that the country is on the threshold of signing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union, the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) said.

Lajčák welcomed the Ukraine’s intention to remain a partner in Bosnia by strengthening trade and economic relations.

The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative thanked the Deputy Foreign Minister for the Ukraine’s long standing engagement in the southeastern Europe and in Bosnia in particular.
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300 NEW JOBS WILL OPEN IN SREBRENICA THIS YEAR

SREBRENICA, Bosnia (April 10,2008) – The US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English stated on after a meeting with Mayor of Srebrenica Municipality that he is satisfied with what has been done in improvement of the citizens’ lives in the area.

He added that the US Government will keep supporting the projects that are of life-significance, especially the ones related to reconstruction of infrastructure and opening of new jobs.

A Special Envoy of the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) for Srebrenica Clifford Bond accompanied Ambassador English. He announced that 300 new jobs will open this year in Srebrenica and that will influence the return process and employment of young people living in the eastern Bosnian town.

Us Ambassador English opened a computer-classroom in the Potocari Primary School. He also visited the “Inspire”, “Alma Ras” and CIMOS companies in Potocari, as well as the location of a new factory that will produce wheelchairs.
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BOSNIA SIGNS KEY FORUM DEAL

MANAMA, Bahrain (April 10,2008) - The Crans Montana Forum has signed an agreement with the Bosnian government for the organisation of a key forum.The Crans Montana Forum will be held October 8 to 11 in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Bosnia, which had attracted over $3.3 billion in foreign direct investments in 2007, is keen to replicate Bahrain's Islamic and conventional banking model. Bosnian delegation, currently in Bahrain to participate in Crans Montana Forum 2008, has also sealed an agreement with Chairman of the Crans Montana Forum for organising the first session of Crans Montana Forum in Sarajevo in October this year targeting GCC investors and businessmen.

The agreement was signed by Haris Basic General Director of the Bosnian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Jean-Paul Carteron, Chairman, Crans Montana Forum.

The signing of the agreement took place on the sidelines of the forum "Central Europe and New Eastern Economies Strategies with the Gulf States" dedicated to the relationships between Central Europe and Gulf Countries.

Signing this agreement in Bahrain underlines Bosnia's plans for deeper co-operation with Bahrain and the Gulf states.

"Signing this agreement in Bahrain is a manifestation of Bosnia to welcome deeper cooperation with Bahrain and the Gulf states," Carteron said.

The signing of the agreement took place yesterday at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, Hotel and Spa during the forum "Central Europe and New Eastern Economies Strategies with the Gulf States" dedicated to the relationships between Central Europe and Gulf countries.

Participants from the GCC states will find unique interests in creating links with Bosnia, according to Crans Montana Forum chairman, Jean-Paul Carteron.

Bosnia offers a large number of investment opportunities in various fields such as infrastructure, transport networks, energy as well as financial markets.

The aim of the Crans Montana Forum in Sarajevo is to present opportunities in terms of joint ventures and foreign direct investment.

The forum will also have a regional focus thus gathering heads of states and governments from the southeastern Europe as well as key representatives of the business community.

It will provide participants with exceptional opportunities of networking with government officials and businesses from Bosnia and the rest of the southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Middle East.
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BOSNIAN NGOs URGE BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT TO ADOPT EU-REQUIRED REFORMS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 10,2008) - Bosnian non-governmental organisations (NGO) have called on lawmakers to adopt two police reform bills to be voted on today to help the country on its path towards EU membership.

"We appeal to you to reach a compromise and pass the police reform bills...or Bosnia's progress to EU integration will remain blocked," 13 NGOs said in a letter sent to the members of the Bosnian State Parliament.

The NGOs said that achieving progress on the way to EU membership was Bosnia's "most important strategic goal" as it would help revive the country's economy and open the way for EU pre-accession funds and visa liberalisation.

The two police reform, to be discussed by the Bosnian Parliament's Lower House, are the last EU-set hurdle for Bosnia to sign a key pact on closer ties with the 27-nation bloc, as expected, later this month.

Bosnia's strongest parliamentary and opposition parties ,the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ,have already announced that they will vote against the bills saying they were just "cosmetic".

Initially, Brussels demanded a unification of Bosnia's separate police forces.

However, the EU has since accepted a reform which envisages setting up seven new state-level police coordination bodies, without affecting the autonomy of police forces of the country's two highly autonomous entities.

In December last year, Bosnia initialled a Stabilisation and Association Agreement ,essentially a trade and aid pact, seen as the first step towards joining the European Union.
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