CHINESE VICE PREMIER TO VISIT BOSNIA

BEIJING, China (September 2,2008) - The Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang will pay official visits to Bosnia,Germany and Macedonia from Sept. 7 to 17, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said today.

His visit is at the invitation of the Bosnian government,the German government and Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

During the tour, Zhang will also attend the third meeting of the China-Europe Forum in Hamburg, Germany.
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CONVICTED SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MOMIR NIKOLIC TESTIFIED AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MILORAD TRBIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - Testifying at the trial of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic, the convicted Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic, former member of the genocidal paramilitary fascist formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), said that, in July 1995 he was involved in "helping (forcibly) transport about 30,000 Bosnian civilians from Bratunac to Kladanj",during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

After having concluded a guilt admission agreement with him, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment for crimes against Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica. Serbian fascist testified, via video link, from Finland, where he is currently serving his sentence.

He said he was not aware of Trbic's role in the mass murder of Bosnian civilians in Srebrenica, adding that he did not even know him "until his arrival at The Hague".

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war crimianl Milorad Trbic, with genocide and participating in the forcible resettlement and mass murder of Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

In the course of his testimony Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic did not want to confirm the Facts and Guilt Admission Statement, which he signed at The Hague. In the mentioned Statement he admitted having been the direct coordinator of detention of Bosnian civilians and their forcible transportation to Kladanj" in July 1995.

"I was not the commander. Brigade Commander Vidoje Blagojevic was the chief. The fact that I was a chief is not sufficient for charging me on the basis of my command responsibility, " Serbian war criminal Nikolic said.

The Hague Tribunal sentenced Serbian war criminal Vidoje Blagojevic, to 15 years' imprisonment for war crimes committed in Srebrenica,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia..

Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic confirmed that, on July 12, 1995 he was present in front of "Fontana" Hotel in Bratunac, where "General Ratko Mladic met Bosnian representatives and UNPROFOR, after having taken Srebrenica, in order to discuss the transportation of civilians to the territory controlled by the Bosnian Army".

"On that day I saw colonel Vujadin Popovic. He approached me and said that I would have to help others transport the civilians. He said some bad things about Bosnians, claiming that they all ought to be murdered. His words sounded eerie," Serbian war criminal Nikolic recalled.

Serbian war criminal Vujadin Popovic is currently at The Hague, where he is being tried for the mass murder of Bosnian civilians in Srebrenica and the Bratunac area,", while Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic, former commander of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS),who is charged with Genocide by the ICTY, is still on the run from justice.

As stated by Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic, on July 13 he had yet another chance to talk to Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic in Konjevic polje, where he "safeguarded the road, which he was going to take".

"After I had reported to Mladic, I asked him what we should do with a large number of detained Bosnians, who were standing there. He just made a quick wave with his hand. I realised that this meant that those people were all going to be murdered," the convicted Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic stated.

The trial of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on September 8, 2008.
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WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATOR MIRSAD TOKACA TESTIFIED AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL PREDRAG KUJUNDZIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - Testifying before the Bosnian State Court yesterday at the trial of Serbian war criminal Predrag Kujundzic, Mirsad Tokaca, President of the Research and Documentation Center - an NGO from the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, said that he had got "numerous pieces of information concerning victims and happenings in Grapska village," as well as several documents, indicating that 34 village residents were murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor on May 10, 1992.

"In their statements witnesses mention that members of the 'Predini vukovi' participated in the mistreatment of people. Some mention Predrag Kujundzic as an executor," Tokaca said.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war criminal Predraf Kujundzic, as commander of the "Predini vukovi" ("Predo's Wolves") a genocidal Serbian fascit aggressor's unit, with having participated in "an attack on and destruction of" Grapska village, in Doboj municipality, on May 10, 1992. Besides this, he is charged with using 16 Bosnian civilians as human shields and murdering them, as well as illegally detaining Bosnian civilians in "Percin disko" building.

Prosecution witness Tokaca spoke about 17 Bosnian civilians, who were murdered by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor on June 12, 1992, when they were used as human shields in Makljenovac. He said that there were "a number of documents and statements, given by survivors", about these people and the mistreatment of detained Bosnian civilians in "Percin disko" concentration camp.

Besides Tokaca, protected witness 14 was also examined yesterday. Due to the additional protective measures, the public had to be in another room during the course of his testimony. He said that five or six genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's soldiers came to his apartment in Doboj in September 1993, adding that he knew Serbian war criminal Predrag Kujundzic, but he did not know the others.

"They were looking for some radio station. They started kicking me with their legs, as I did not have it. Predo (Kujundzic) hit me on my nose with some weapons. I started bleeding. Then they left. They said they would be back, but they never came again," witness 14 said.

Witness Ibrahim Hadzikadunic told the Trial Chamber that, in April 1993 he was taken, together with about 20 other Bosnian civilians, to Stanic rijeka, where they had to "retrench the frontline".

"Upon our arrival we were met by a captain from Doboj and Predrag Kujundzic. I heard of him and 'Predini vukovi' Unit. He asked us to dig trenches as per their instructions. If it was not possible to work at daylight, we dug trenches at night. Weather conditions did not matter," Hadzikadunic said.

As indicated by this witness, Serbian war criminal Predrag Kujundzic forced him and seven other Bosnian civilians to remove "roof construction and tiles" from a Bosnian house and load them onto a truck.

"After that they would take away household appliances from Bosnian houses. They would just go there and say: 'Predrag Kujundzic ordered us to do this'," the witness said, adding that this lasted for about "20 to 30 days". He said he did not see Serbian war criminal Predrag Kujundzic any more.
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UN COURT FREES CONVICTED SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MIODRAG JOKIC

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (September 2,2008) - The International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has set free today ex Yugoslav Navy commander,the convicted Serbian war criminal Miodrag Jokic after he served two thirds of his term in prison for shelling of the Croatian sea resort of Dubrovnik in 1991,during the 1991-1995 Serbian aggression against Croatia.

Serbian war criminal Miodrag Jokic was sentenced in 2004 and sent to Denmark to serve his seven year term.

Explaining the decision to free Serbian fascist, judge Fausto Pocar, said that Danish authorities had reported on Serbian war criminal’s "good behaviour".

“Jokic was a peaceful and silent inmate, a very decent worker at the prison’s textile workshop and was a fatherly figure to other inmates,” Pocar deliberated.

Serbian war criminal Miodrag Jokic voluntarily surrendered to The Hague tribunal in 2001 and originally entered a non-guilty plea.

He then changed his mind and pleaded guilty in 2003 to all six points of the indictment charging him with the attack on Dubrovnik in December 1991 in which two Croatian civilians were killed.

Serbian fascist allegedly "showed remorse" for the crime and later cooperated with the ICTY.

He testified against his superior at the time,Serbian war criminal,General Pavle Strugar, sentenced to seven and a half years for the same crime.

Serbian war criminal Miodrag Jokic is to be freed form the Danish prison as soon as the procedure of his release is completed.
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OSCE TO HELP BOSNIAN POLICE DEAL WITH HATE CRIMES

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) says it will assist Bosnian police in combating hate-motivated crimes.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights says it will train Bosnian police in recognizing and responding to hate crimes, and in engaging with communities victimized by hate-motivated crime.

The Bosnian Deputy Minister of Security Mijo Kresic says harsher punishments will be introduced for crimes motivated by nationality, religious or political orientation.

The OSCE office, referred to as ODIHR, said in 2006 it was concerned about attacks on people returning after the 1992-95 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia and on minorities living in the country including Gypsies, or Roma.

The OSCE reached the agreement yesterday with the Bosnian Ministry of Security.
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TEN COMPANIES APPLIED TO BUY BOSNIA UTILITY POWER SURPLUS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - At least 10 companies have applied to buy 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours of surplus electricity from Bosnia's largest power utility, a top company top official said today.

The state-owned Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) expects to earn at least 135 million Euros ($196 million) from the sale of its electricity surplus in 2009, said General Manager Amer Jerlagic.

"So far between 10 and 20 utilities and power trading firms have bought the tender documentation and the final number of bidders will be known on Sept. 8 when the tender closes," Jerlagic said.

The Sarajevo-based utility is selling off its power surplus for the first time in five years because a deal compensating for an investment into a Bosnian thermo-power plant with electricity expires this year.

"Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, as well as Greece and Italy have expressed interest, among others," Jerlagic said.

Bosnia and Bulgaria are the only electricity exporters in southeastern Europe while other countries remain dependant on imports, with power shortages ranging from 30 to 50 percent.

About half of Bosnian power is generated in hydro-power plants, with the remainder coming from thermo-power plants.

Jerlagic said that EPBiH also plans to sell another 300 GWh of electricity next year on a short-term basis through an international tender, a move expected to generate 27 million euros in revenues.

EPBiH plans an output of 6,700 GWh in 2008, Jerlagic said. Its revenues in the first half of the year amounted to 419 million Bosnian Marks ($315.7 million) and it posted a net profit of 22.6 million Bosnian Marks.

"For the first time we made a profit of 8 million Bosnian Marks from the core business due to the good exports," he said.

Last year, the utility signed deals worth 54 million euros to sell 725 GWh of surplus electricity in 2008 to Swiss-based power utility Atel and Energy Financing Team (EFT) at 75 euros per megawatt hour. The quantity accounted for up to 60 percent of EPBiH's expected surplus this year.
Jerlagic said that EPBiH has considered establishing a sister company either in Croatia or Slovenia to be in charge of trade at a new regional power exchange due to start operating in Slovenia in October.

"We may also form a joint venture for this business with some international companies," he added.

Jerlagic said his firm plans to invest part of its profit into the renewable energy sector. He said that Bosnia, alongside Croatia, has the largest wind power capacity in the region, estimated at between 1,000 and 1,200 megawatts.

"We are interested in investing 35 million euros into a 30-megawatt wind park in the southern Herzegovina region, as well as in several small hydro-power plants," he said.

But Jerlagic warned that in a decade Bosnia could face power shortages if the authorities continue to delay the adoption of a state-wide energy sector development strategy.
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CANADIAN COMPANY TO EXPLORE OIL DEPOSITS IN BOSNIA

TUZLA, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - The representatives of Canadian Seedrock Capital Partners Inc. will be in the eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla in early September to define conditions with the canton government under which oil exploration in the area will take place.

This has been confirmed by a professor of the local mining college. As Abdulah Basic said, the offer the Canadians made was the best – initial 40 million Euros, and exploration work starting in 2009. It was the best offer we got, he said.

However, the canton government thinks nothing less of the offers that had arrived from Britain and Malaysia, and there is also the Sarajevo-based Energoinvest – the holder of the exploration concession. According to preliminary research, there are 50 million tonnes of oil deposits in this part of Bosnia.
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OHR AGAINST PROVOCATIVE RHETORIC AHEAD OF OCTOBER 5 LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - The Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR), warned political parties in Bosnia to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric in the political campaign ahead of the October 5 local elections.

“The OHR never speculates about possible measures and sanctions, but it is clear that undermining the state and attempts to undo reform will not be tolerated,” OHR spokesman Oleg Milisic said.

Broad governing powers enable the OHR to impose financial and other sanctions and even dismiss local officials.

Bosnia’s main election body, the Bosnian Central Election Commission, also has the powers to impose financial and other measures, including removing candidates and even entire parties from the electoral lists, commission officials told the media.

The pre-election campaign period officially starts on September 5, but some politicians in Bosnia have already used some of the most divisive issues – such as constitutional reform and a census – to try to raise political and ethnic tensions in the country.

Yet some Bosnian politicians and analysts have complained that the OHR's warning is an empty threat.

“Already now, although the pre-election campaign hasn’t even started officially, we have examples of such rhetoric being used. Yet there were no sanctions during the last elections,” the general secretary of the largest Bosnian political party,the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Amir Zukic, told media.

“The OHR has a possibility to sanction the perpetrators, but obviously they don’t want to do that,” he added.

Such comments refer in particular to the leader of the genocidal Serbian fascist creature in Bosnia "RS", Serbian fascist Milorad Dodik, whose party ,SNSD, swept most votes of the Serbians living in Bosnia,who has proved on numerous occasions that he is a true enemy of Bosnia.
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BOSNIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM COACH WELCOMES RETURN OF GOALKEEPER HASAGIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - The Coach of the Bosnian National Football Team Miroslav Blazevic welcomed yesterday the return of goalkeeper Kenan Hasagic to the Bosnian World Cup squad for the European Group Five qualifiers away to Spain on Sept. 6 and at home to Estonia on Sept. 10.

Hasagic is one of several players who have refused in the past to play for the national team in protest at the Bosnina Football Association policies.

"This is the best thing that could happen to us," Blazevic told the Bosnian state radio.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Kenan Hasagic (Buyuksehir Belediyespor Istanbul), Goran Brasnic (Inter Zapresic)

Defenders: Emir Spahic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Safet Nadarevic (Eskisehirspor), Dzemal Berberovic (Litex Lovech), Ivan Radeljic (Energie Cottbus)

Midfielders: Elvir Rahimic (CSKA Moscow), Dario Damjanovic (Luch-Energia Vladivostok), Miralem Pjanic (Olimpique Lyon), Zvjezdan Misimovic (VfL Wolfsburg), Senijad Ibricic (Hajduk Split), Branislav Krunic (Moscow), Sanel Jahic (Aris Thessaloniki), Mario Juric (Slaven Belupo), Semir Stilic (Lech Poznan), Velibor Vasilic (Zvijezda Gradacac)

Forwards: Sejad Salihovic (TSG Hoffenheim), Zlatan Muslimovic (PAOK FC Thesalloniki), Edin Dzeko (VfL Wolfsburg), Vedad Ibisevic (TSG Hoffenheim), Admir Vlaavic (MSK Zilina), Samir Muratovic (Sturm Graz), Said Huseinovic (Werder Bremen).
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TAXES TO BE RAISED IN BOSNIA AFTER LOCAL ELECTIONS IN OCTOBER

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - The Bosnian Deputy Finance Minister Fuad Kasumovic has announced yesterday that direct taxes and excise taxes would be raised right after the October elections, which means higher prices of cigarettes, coffee, alcohol and oil.He said that the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate would be raised to 21 per cent next year.

However, his estimate is that even this measure will not be enough to offset the losses that the Bosnian economy has seen in tax revenue as a result of the implementation of the interim agreement on trade and trade-related matters.

Tax revenues in July were down by 7 million Bosnian Marks, compared to July 2007, after tariffs were cancelled for about ten per cent of items imported from the EU.

Kasumovic says that this increase in VAT rate is not only due to lower tax revenue, but largely to excessive public spending. As of January 1, 2009, tariffs will be cancelled for more than 95 per cent of items imported from the EU.

Strong reactions have followed from members of the Bosnian business community, after yesterday’s announcement by the Bosnian Deputy Finance Minister Kasumovic.

In their opinion, impositions on the business sector are already high as it is, from VAT and excise tax to all kind of fees and taxes. A higher VAT rate could even be tolerable if the Bosnian government had quality programs for the socially vulnerable, but since such programs currently do not exist, the entire burden of increased spending would fall on consumers, they argue.
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