BOSNIAN PRESIDENT HARIS SILAJDZIC: CAPTURE OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC IS A GREAT DAY FOR BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - The arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic will be marked as a great day for Bosnia, the Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic said in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.President Silajdzic, in his first reaction on Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic’s arrest, said in his statement for the Bosnian state television (BHT) that it has been shown that the justice still can be reached, but he has also warned that Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic is still at large.

The Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic said that it must not be allowed that the project of those two Serbian war criminals still lives in Bosnia, and by this he meant on the consequences of genocide they are responsible for.

"This is at least some satisfaction for the families of the genocide victims.The justice, however, cannot be complete without the arrest of Ratko Mladic," President Silajdzic said.

Although he had been skeptical about the prospects for Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic's arrest, he said that his belief in justice has been restored.

The Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic also said that the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic will contribute to justice, peace and stability in Bosnia as well as catharsis in the genocidal Serbia.

Serbian war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic,have been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) since 1995 on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.
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OIC WELCOMES ARREST OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (July 24,2008) - The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has welcomed the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic, since 1995 indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Prof. Ihsanoglu who described the arrest as a major step to end impunity and deliver justice for the Bosnian Muslims as well as other victims of mass killing and war crimes , expressed the hope that this would soon be followed by the apprehension of other indicted war criminals in former Yugoslavia.

The OIC Secretary General also looked forward that this development would close a sad long chapter in the history of Bosnia and open a new era of enduring reconciliation, peaceful coexistence and security for the peoples of the southeastern Europe.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference is an international organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. It groups 57 member states, from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America.
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BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBER ZELJKO KOMSIC WELCOMES ARREST OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - The arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic is a great thing for Bosnia and justice, said Bosnian State Presidency Member Zeljko Komsic on the special press-conference that took place in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on the occasion of his arrest.

Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic is charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with genocide, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts, and other crimes against Bosnian civilians committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Bosnian Presidency Member Zeljko Komsic said that by this arrest justice has been only partially served.

"Every day that the accused of war crimes spend as free people is a lost day for the victims of the crimes and justice", he pointed out, warning that two other top Serbian war criminals indicted by The Hague Tribunal, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic are still at large.
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ICTY WELCOMES ARREST OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (July 24,2008) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) welcomes the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic and looks forward to his prompt transfer to the Tribunal in The Hague in order to stand trial,the ICTY said.

Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic has been charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with genocide, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts, and other crimes against Bosnian civilians during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has also welcomed the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic, it was announced by the ICTY.

"I have been informed by my colleagues from Belgrade on the successful operation that resulted in arrest of Radovan Karadzic. On the behalf of the Prosecutor’s Office, I congratulate to the Serbian authorities, especially the National Security Council, Serbian action team in charge of searching after the fugitives and the prosecutor’s Office for the war crimes on undertaking this big step in cooperation with the Tribunal," the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Brammertz said

He pointed out that this is a very important day for the Bosnian genocide victims that have waited for the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic for more than a decade.

He also added that this is a big day for justice since it clearly demonstrates that no one is beyond law and that all fugitives from justice will be, sooner or later, arrested.

The date of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić’s transfer into the Tribunal’s custody will be determined in due course.
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LAJCAK WELCOMES ARREST OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADOVAN KARADZIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia, Miroslav Lajčák, has welcomed the long awaited arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic, since 1995 indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

“The news that Radovan Karadzic has been arrested is positive for Bosnia and for the whole region. This arrest proves that justice reaches everyone. Nobody is untouchable. Although two indictees, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, still remain at large, the arrest of Karadzic can be viewed as the beginning of the end of the most tragic chapter in Bosnia’s modern history,” Lajčák said.

He said that although justice in the Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic case has been delayed it has not been denied.

“Karadzic’s continuing liberty has been an affront to justice and a challenge to the domestic and international legal systems, but justice will now take its course – and that is a matter of the greatest political importance and respect not just for the people of Bosnia but for all of us.”

Lajčák described Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic’s arrest as “a matter of the integrity of the rule of law” and he said it offered “fresh impetus to the region’s long march to postwar recovery and European integration.

The officials of the European Union already announced that the arrest of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic will have positive consequences concerning the EU integration process of the region.”

The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia noted that Bosnia in 2008 is a very different country from the one in 1996.

“The arrest of Radovan Karadzic will help the people of Bosnia to turn from past to the future and focus on the challenges they face today,” he concluded.
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BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBER ZELJKO KOMSIC MET WITH HEAD OF CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BOSNIA VINKO PULJIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - Bosnian State Presidency Member Željko Komšić met in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with Head of the Catholic Church in Bosnia Cardinal Vinko Puljić.During the meeting,they talked about the relations between the Bosnian state and the Catholic Church in Bosnia, as well as about certain open issues concerning the Roman Catholic Church’s property in Bosnia.

Cardinal Puljić emphasized that he as a pontiff, and the entire Roman Catholic Church as well, seem to be receiving less and less support, even a lack of understanding of the competent Bosnian state institutions in relation to solving property and legal, particularly proprietary problems that the Roman Catholic Church has been facing.

He asked Bosnian Presidency Member Komšić to continue to help with his reputation and authority to solving concrete issues, for which he had not had an appropriate engagement.

During the meeting, they also discussed other issues in relation to the work of other religious communities in Bosnia.

Cardinal Puljić thanked Bosnian Presidency member Komšić for the previous overall engagement and understanding for the needs of the Catholic Church in Bosnia.
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BOSNIA LEADS ON FORBES' LIST OF FASTEST CHANGING MARKETS IN THE WORLD

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - In a research done by American Social Technologies for the Forbes magazine, Bosnia tops the list of the world’s fastest-changing markets with 100 points.

The parameters that were analyzed include urban development, literacy, civil liberties, GDP per capital and access to telephone, internet and TV. In the research, the current situation was compared with periods ten and 15 years ago.

The data required were submitted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Freedom House and the World Resources Institute.
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BOSNIA AND NORWAY SIGNED VISA FACILITATION AGREEMENT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 24,2008) - The Bosnian Minister of Security Tarik Sadovic and Norway’s Ambassador to Bosnia Jan Braathu signed a Visa Facilitation Agreement between Bosnia and Norway in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

The agreement will become effective as soon as the process of its ratification is over.

There are approximately 20,000 Bosnian citizens living in Norway. Although not an EU member, Norway is a full member of the Schengen cooperation project, Ambassador Braathu underlined.
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