FBIH ENTITY AND IRANIAN PROVINCE MARKAZY TO LAUNCH JOINT PROJECTS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 10,2008) - Nedžad Branković, Prime Minister of the FBIH entity and Vahid Hećo, the FBIH Entity Minister of Energy met with the delegation of the Iranian Markazy province headed by Ali Akbar Shaebani Fard Jahromi and discussed cooperation between two regions.

Zeničko-Dobojski Canton, with which Markazy province has already been cooperating, is the host to Iranian delegation.

Iranian province’s entrepreneurs participated at Zenica Fair Zeps. The meeting was an opportunity to consider cooperation in energy segment, metal industry, oil and gas industry, etc.

Branković used the opportunity to thank the Iranian people and its government for the help they offered to the Bosnian people during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.
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ICELAND AWARDS BOSNIAN FILM "SNOW"

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (October 7,2008) - Bosnian film "Snijeg" (Snow), directed by Bosnian film director Aida Begic has won the Main Award of Reykjavik International Film Festival.

Co-produced by Bosnia,Iran,Germany and France, the film participated in the event's New Vision category.

The post-war Bosnian drama relates the story of widowed women living in 1997 post-war Bosnia, who fight for their freedom and survival.

Snow premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and received the Grand Prix award of the event's Critics Week program.

The feature-length film has been chosen to represent Bosnia at the foreign film section of the 81st Oscar Awards.

The fifth edition of the Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF) was held from Sep. 25 to Oct. 5, 2008 in the Icelandic capital.
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IRANIAN FIRM INTERESTED IN BOSNIAN ENERGY SECTOR

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 8,2008) - The representatives of the Farab Company, the leading Iranian company for the construction of the hydro-electric power stations, in their yesterday's visit to the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, expressed their interest in constructing the facilities for the production of electricity in Bosnia.

In the course of the yesterday's meeting with the FBIH Entity Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic and Vahid Heco, the FBIH Entity Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry, the representatives of this company said that the Iranian Bank for Export Development had already provided money for the investment in Bosnia, and that the Farab Company was prepared to start the work at any time. The FBIH entity government representatives said that the Iranians offered two models for the construction of the electric power facilities.

The first model would include the crediting by the Iranian Bank for Export Development; in this case, Bosnia would get a loan under favourable terms, and Farab, in cooperation with the domestic companies, would carry out the work. The second model of financing would include the direct investment of the Farab Company, and the Iranian company would hand over the constructed facility to the FBIH entity for use, after a certain period of time.

Heco stressed that the electrical energy sector in Bosnia needed companies that have references such as Farab's, particularly keeping in mind their knowledge and technologies in this sphere. He said that a feasibility study was in the drafting procedure for the construction of around 20 free-flowing hydro- electric power plants on the Bosna River, with the power between 20 and 40 megawatts, and that the Farab Company could participate in those projects.

Brankovic said that the FBIH entity government wanted to start big projects, particularly in the electrical energy sector. He added that several decisions were currently in the parliamentary procedure concerning the construction of the electrical energy facilities and that the government was waiting for the green light from the Parliament.
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TIHIC AND HOSSEINI DISCUSSED COOPERATION BETWEEN BOSNIA AND IRAN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 22,2008) - The President of the largest Bosnian political party - the Party of Democratic Action (Bosnian: Stranka Demokratske Akcije - SDA) Sulejman Tihic met with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Bosnia Ahmad Fard Hosseini yesterday.They discussed cooperation between the two friendly countries and exchanged their views on current political issues.

The two officials emphasized that cooperation between Bosnia and Iran was in the interest of all Bosnian and Iranian citizens.The meeting reviewed the existing level of cooperation and underlined the need for promoting robust ties as their existed tremendous scope of cooperation in various fields.

Ambassador Hosseini expressed his hope that Bosnian politicians would succeed in reaching a consensus and meet the conditions of the Stabilization and Assocation Agreement with the European Union.

Tihic thanked the Iranian people and leadership for their support and generous assistance to the Bosnian people during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.
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CROATIANS LIVING IN BOSNIA "GO CRAZY" ABOUT GREEN SIDEWALKS IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 19,2008) - The non-governmental organization of the Croatians living in Bosnia "the Croatia Libertas NGO" stated yesterday that the decision to paint the sidewalks green in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo is "a pure provocation".

“This is a message of intolerance and a perfidious scene of 'ethnic cleansing' that was preconceived by Bosnians as a way to drive away people of other ethnicities and religions living in Sarajevo,” said NGO President Leo Pločkinić.

Pločkinić said that nowhere in the world were streets and sidewalks painted green,the color traditionally linked with Islam,not even in Tehran.


Bosnian workers painting sidewalks green in Sarajevo

“It is clear that Sarajevo wants to be a greater Tehran than the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Iran itself,” Pločkinić surmised.

Sarajevo Mayor Semiha Borovac said that painting the sidewalks and streets green is good for the city, simply because the city lacked greenery.

However,Miro Lazović,one of the leaders of the Bosnian Social-Democratic Union, said that this should not be regarded as provocation, and that the move has been misinterpreted.

“The green sidewalks were meant to mark the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival, and in that context I believe that those who draw some other connotations from the green sidewalks have a political agenda of their own,” he said.
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IRANIAN MAJLIS RATIFIES BOSNIA-IRAN SECURITY PACT

TEHRAN, Iran (August 11,2008) - The Iranian Majlis has ratified Bosnia-Iran security pact.The security agreement had already been signed between the Bosnian government and the government of Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bosnia-Iran agreement on security has 11 Articles which envisaged cooperation on security and bolstering the friendly ties.According to the agreement, Iran and Bosnia will develop cooperation in fourteen areas.

The Majlis lawmakers approved the bill with 160 votes in favor and 10 against.

According to the agreement Bosnia and Iran committed themselves to combat transnational organized crime and other criminal activities, fight against narcotics and psycho active drugs, prevent illegal economic activities, and crack down on criminals who threaten people’s lives and properties.

The methods of cooperation and other issues are also included in this agreement.
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