BOSNIA TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM IRAQ

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 1,2008) - The Bosnian State Presidency has decided to withdraw the Bosnian military contingent from Iraq by mid-December.

Nebojsa Radmanovic, Chairman of the Bosnian State Presidency, told the press that nearly 90 Bosnian troops were expected to return home on Dec. 15 after the end of the involvement in the U.S.-led western aggression against Iraq.

Bosnia has sent eight rotations of 36 de-mining experts since June 2005, who were deployed close to the Iraqi city of Falluja to clear unexploded ordnance and ammunition.

In August, Bosnia also deployed a 50-strong infantry troops to Iraq to help provide security at U.S. forces' Camp Victory in capital Baghdad.
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BOSNIAN STATE PRESIDENCY MEMBER HARIS SILAJDZIC ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT" IN QATAR

DOHA, Qatar (December 1,2008) - A member of the Bosnian State Presidency Haris Silajdzic is in visit to Doha, Qatar, where he attends the International Conference “Financing for Development” (Monterrey Consensus).

Organizer of the conference is the United Nations and it is hosted by Qatar Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalif Al-Thani.

Main topics of the conference are global financial crisis, rising prices of energy products, food production crisis, climate change and finding measures to overcome them.

Silajdzic addressed the conference yesterday and stated that if the crisis takes over the region, Bosnia can expect to feel its consequences as well. He added that justice, righteousness and respect of peace and stability are basis of good economy. He stated that, Bosnia is a country rich with natural resorces but that it was struck with injustice in recent history which unfortunately slowed down its development.

Silajdzic met with Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalif Al-Thani and talked about improvement of cooperation between Bosnia and Qatar with special accent on economic cooperation.

He talked about investments and credit lines with Qatar's Minister for International Cooperation Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah and Minister of Economy and Trade Fahad Bin Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Abdulrahman Al Thani.

They mostly discussed possibilities of investing in infrastructure, agriculture and energy. It was agreed for the Qatar delegation to visit Bosnia in 2009, the Bosnian State Presidency said in a press release.
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MONTENEGRIN PRIME MINISTER MILO DJUKANOVIC VISITS BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 1,2008) - Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic led today in Sarajevo delegation of Montenegro in talks with representatives of the Bosnian government led by the Prime Minister Nikola Spiric, in the first visit to our country since Montenegro declared independence two and a half years ago.

Spiric said after the meeting, that there are no open issues between the two countries, but improvement of cooperation is needed in all areas and especially in the field of economy.

The representatives of the two governments signed yesterday four interstates agreements.

The Bosnian Minister of Civil Affairs Sredoje Novic and Minister of Interior and Public Authority of Montenegro Jusuf Kalamperovic signed the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, then the Agreement in the Cooperation in the are of Culture and Agreement on Cooperation in Education, while Kalamperovic and the Bosnian Minister of Security Tarik Sadovic signed the Agreement on Readmission.

The Montenegrin Ambassador to Bosnia Ramiz Basic stated that this visit comes within development of neighborly cooperation.

However, they will also touch some political issues, primarily during Djukanovic’s meeting with the Bosnian State Presidency members and the Bosnian State Parliament's chairs of both houses.
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BOSNIA HOSTED REGIONAL MEETING OF MINISTERS OF SECURITY AND INTERIOR AFFAIRS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 1,2008) - Bosnia hosted the 3rd informal meeting of ministers of security and ministers of interior from countries of the southeastern Europe, which is held from November 28 to 29 in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo in the organization of the Bosnian Ministry of Security.

The focus of this meeting was cooperation of countries of the region in segment of security and internal affairs.

The meeting, asides the Bosnian Minister of Security, was attended by interior ministers of Croatia, Montenegro,Macedonia and Serbia, stated the Bosnian Ministry of Security release.
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THE BANKER NAMED UNICREDIT BANK THE BEST BANK IN BOSNIA IN 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 1,2008) - The heads of the Italian banking group Unicredit, which has headquarters in Banja Luka and Mostar, announced in a press conference that, in the face of the financial crisis, Unicredit plans to strengthen its activities in Bosnia, and does not plan to raise interests considerably.

Board member Federico Ghizzoni also announced that the British magazine The Banker has named Unicredit bank the best bank in Bosnia in 2008. He said the bank would continue to support strongly the development of the Bosnian economy, primarily through the funding of industry and project financing.

Unicredit bank has more than 800,000 clients in Bosnia and assets of almost 326 million Bosnian Marks. Unicredit banka Banja Luka is the market leader with assets of 416 million Bosnian Marks and market share of 20.9 per cent.

Ghizzoni expects interest rates to start dropping in the second half of 2009. Unicredit’s average interest on home loans is 9 percent.
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