JAPAN STRONGLY SUPPORTS BOSNIA'S EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) – The newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Bosnia Futao Motai submitted yesterday credentials to the Bosnian President Haris Silajdžić.Welcoming the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan and wishing him a successful mission in Bosnia,the Bosnian President expressed his belief that bilateral relations between Bosnia and Japan would continue to develop in different areas, especially in the field of culture and economy.

“Bosnia is quickly entering the Euro-Atlantic integration because on June 16, we will sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement. We have also taken a very important step with NATO and we are hoping for the Japanese Government’s support in the Euro-Atlantic path, just as it was so far”. President Silajdžić emphasized and added that Bosnia, with its resources, especially tourist economy, could be a reliable partner for investors and the Japanese government, in bilateral and multilateral field.

Ambassador Futao Motai, during the transfer of credentials of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan to the Bosnian President Haris Silajdžić, transferred Japan's people’s and government’s satisfaction that Bosnia has risen from the ashes and achieved this level of development.

Japan will continue to strongly support Bosnia in the process of joining the European Union and the full-fledged NATO membership,Ambassador Motai stated.
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EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DISCUSSED POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) – EU Council of Ministers, which discussed yesterday the political developments in Bosnia in the context of preparations for signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the EU, invited all authorities in the country to take all necessary measures in order for the temporary agreement on trade as a composite of the SAA could be effective immediately.

Ministers welcomed opening of the dialogue on free visa regime with Bosnia which formally opened on Monday with first expert and technical discussion on the development of specific criteria and conditions within the Road Map for Bosnia.

EU military and security situation was rated as stabile and it was concluded that the EU will continue with its active role, including the Eropean Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) as part of total efforts of the EU in Bosnia.

In conclusions they stated that the EU will preserve its leading role in securing safety and stability in Bosnia.

The council welcomed recent adoption of the Bosnian police reform laws and stated that it firmly supports The European Union Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM) in providing aid to Bosnian authorities to implement the reform more successfully.
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WORLD BANK ALLOCATES GRANTS FOR SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) – The World Bank Office in Bosnia has allocated grants for seven Bosnian organizations of the civil society, as part of this year’s competition of the Fund for the Civil Society, as it has been announced by the World Bank.

92 registrations have been received this year.

The winners have been elected by the independent commission, and the sum of the grant for seven organizations is 35,000 USD.

This has been the ninth consecutive year that the World Bank has been giving small grants to the organizations of the civil society in Bosnia in order of strengthening of the arrangement of the civil society in solving the problems of the most endangered categories of the population.

“Over the years we have noticed that the impact of these small programmes can really be significant. In the few past years we have seen efforts for the Roma children to be involved into regular process of education, to improve the life of disabled people and to ensure for their voice to be heard. We have also seen that the young people have been given chances to make some impact on the development of their local communities“, said Marco Mantovanelli, Head of the World Bank Office in Bosnia.
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QATAR TO BUILD TOP-CATEGORY HOTELS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) - The President of the Bosnian Foreign Trade Chamber Milan Lovric and Qatar’s Ambassador to Bosnia Mubarak Al-Hajri had a meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, during which the Ambassador Al-Hajri said that Qatari entrepreneurs are interested to invest in building top-category hotels in Bosnia.

One company from Qatar is already interested to build one such hotel in Sarajevo. Qatar is also interested in Bosnian construction companies, especially those specializing in building bridges.

Lovric concluded that, unfortunately, good bilateral relations between Bosnia and Qatar are still not accompanied with equally good business cooperation, and said that the Bosnian Foreign Trade Chamber is open to all initiatives in that area.
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KASUMOVIC AND MANTOVANELLI DISCUSSED WORLD BANK PROJECTS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) - Fuad Kasumovic - the Bosnian Deputy Finance Minister and Marco Mantovanelli – Head of the World Bank’s Office in Bosnia have discussed the activities of the World Bank in Bosnia, and ways to improve cooperation, especially in the area related to coordination of international assistance between Bosnia and the donor community.

Furthermore, Mantovanelli introduced the World Bank’s idea about forming a fiduciary operations unit within the Bosnian Ministry of Finance, which would be in charge of all procurement and financial management activities related to the local projects funded by the World Bank.
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BUILDING AND RECONSTRUCTION SHOW OPENS IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) - The 30th international building and reconstruction show opened at the Sarajevo Skenderija centre yesterday (Gradnja i obnova 2008). More than 350 exhibitors from Bosnia and the rest of the world will display their products and services on the total area of 13,000 sqm until May 30.

The Sarajevo Canton Chamber of Economy is the partner of this event. The Bosnian capital Sarajevo is currently the country’s biggest construction area in the country, with 173 active construction sites
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SURVEY SHOWS WORRYING FACTS ABOUT BOSNIAN YOUTH

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) - 93 per cent of young married couples in Bosnia do not have their own home, and more than 80 per cent of youth aged 16 – 30 live with their parents. These are the results of a survey about the position of youth in Bosnia, carried out on the sample of 1,500 respondents from 53 municipalities by the Coordinating Commission for Youth Issues, with the Bosnian government.

Social scientists find the survey results disappointing, especially the ones related to young married couples, and criticize the Bosnian government and employers for not doing anything to help them solve their housing issues.
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FOUR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS ARRESTED IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 28,2008) - The Bosnian State Protection and Investigation Agency (SIPA) arrested yesterday four Serbian war criminals suspected of war crimes during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia, the Office of the Bosnian State Prosecutor confirmed in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Serbian war crminals Damir Ivankovic, 38, Dusan Jankovic, 58, Zeljko Stojnic, 38 and Zoran Babic, 40 were arrested in the north- western Bosnian town of Prijedor on the orders of the Bosnian State Prosecutor.

The four Serbian war criminals are suspected of involvement in the war crimes against Bosnian civilians - in 1992 at Koricanske Stijene in central Bosnia.

The genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered more than 250 Bosnian civilians at Koricanske Stijene in August 1992.

Bosnian civilians, transported in two buses from the concentration camps in north-western Bosnia were ordered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor to leave the buses when they arrived at Koricanske Stijene with a sheer rock face on one side of the road and a steep cliff on the other.

When they left the buses more than 250 Bosnian civilians were ordered to kneel at the edge of the cliff after which the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor murdered them.
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