DELEGATIONS OF EIGHT SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND EC GATHERED IN BOSNIA AT THE MULTI-BENEFICIARY PROGRAMME COORDINATION MEETING

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 9,2008) - Hosted by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), a two-day coordination meeting gathering participants in the Multi-Beneficiary Programme under the European Commission’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), has commenced in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo today.

Head of Operations of the European Commission Delegation to Bosnia Boris Iarochevitch and Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Hido Biščević addressed the participants at the opening ceremony. They both emphasized the importance of the meeting and of the Multi-Beneficiary Programme, which might become an important tool for the very essence of the work of the RCC.

Delegations of Bosnia, Albania, Croatia,Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and European Commission have gathered to discuss and evaluate implementation of the ongoing projects, Programme’s strategy and possibilities for future cooperation.

Iarochevitch underlined how important and useful is to held meetings like this one in order to exchange information among the beneficiaries of the countries and delegations of the region and discuss future regional cooperation and steps forward.

“I think that the timing is very important. As you all know, we are currently engaged in the IPA programming cycle. You have been recently asked to commence to draft programmes and plans for the years 2009-2011, and I think our work today will help us to generate ideas with a regional scope for the future indicative programmes.”- stressed Iarochevitch.

Biščević pointed out that the next year, a year of 2009, would be a crucial year for the countries of the southeastern Europe, and particularly for the Western Balkans countries.He said that these countries, which are at the crossroad now, could experience two possible outcomes – a positive one, where the positive trends can be sustained and accelerated, and a negative one, a scenario of standstill.

“I need to tell you that the countries in the region are eagerly waiting for a strategy to be finalised. The governments in the region are very much preparing to see in what way, how, to what dynamics and to what methodology the Multi-Beneficiary Programme strategy will be translated, in the forthcoming period, into concrete work, concrete projects.” – said Biščević.

The multi-beneficiary programme will complement and add value to the support given by different national programmes. Multi-beneficiary actions consequently focuses on support that requires collaboration among the beneficiaries, such as regional structures, networks of experts or civil servants or to tackle needs or problems of a cross-border nature.

Purpose of support under the IPA programme is to help candidate and potential candidate countries (the Beneficiaries) to progress towards fully meeting the Copenhagen political and economic criteria as well as adopting and implementing EU acquis.

Besides the country-specific financial assistance, a multi-beneficiary programme supports joint projects by several partners, in areas such as economic and social development, exchange of students and academic staff, supporting civil society, administrative and judicial reform, fight against organised crime and corruption and disaster risk reduction.

For 2008-2010, the overall indicative amount of EU financial assistance under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is 4.471 billion Euros.
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BOSNIA'S EXPORT TO MONTENEGRO SEVEN TIMES BIGGER THAN IMPORT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 8,2008) - The trade exchange between Bosnia and Montenegro has been seeing an upward trend ever since the latter proclaimed independence, but there is a significant surplus on the Bosnian side.

In the first seven months of 2008, Bosnia exported 152.8 million Bosnian Marks worth of goods to the southern neighbouring market, and that makes Montenegro the seventh most important trade partner of Bosnia.

In the same period, imports were worth 20.8 million Bosnian Marks, which means exports top imports seven times. That is by far the best trade exchange ratio for Bosnia.

Records of the Bosnian Chamber of Foreign Trade show Bosnia mostly exports to Montenegro a variety of finished products, worth 82.7 million Bosnian Marks. The Sarajevo tobacco factory (FDS) accounts for a significant share in this, as well as some other Bosnian companies in the food and tobacco sector.
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BOSNIA AND MONTENEGRO AGREED ON THE PROJECT OF BUILDING A RAILROAD BETWEEN CAPLJINA AND NIKSIC

PODGORICA, Montenegro (March 4,2008) - The representatives of national railway companies of Bosnia and Montenegro have agreed to prepare a plan of activities in the next 15 days for the project of building a railroad between the Montenegrin town of Niksic and the Bosnian town of Capljina.

Following a meeting in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica, rought estimates were announced about the construction of this 160-kilometre railroad starting in 2012 and ending in some 4-5 years.

Head of the Bosnian Railways pointed out that the logistics potential of the Croatian port of Ploce has already been used up, and the Bosnian companies will need to turn towards the Montenegrin port of Bar.
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MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 19,2008) – The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia, Miroslav Lajčák met yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo with Ranko Krivokapic, the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament.

Reviewing the declaration of independence by Kosovo’s Parliament the High Representative/EU Special Representative and the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament agreed that this event couldn’t derail the regions hopes of EU accession.

The EU agenda must remain the regions focus agreed Lajčák and Krivokapic.

The High Representative and EU Special Representative said that none of Bosnia’s problems are in any way related to Kosovo and its status.

“Any attempt to artificially link Kosovo to Bosnia or its constituent parts must be firmly rejected.Bosniais in no way a hostage to Kosovo nor is the country open to question under international law,” Lajcak stated.

Lajcak and Krivokapic agreed that there is no more important question for the country in the short term than its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.
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REHN: BALKANS HAVE CHANCE TO ACHIVE STABILITY

LONDON, UK (January 28,2008) - The Balkans have a chance to achieve stability and prosperity and the European Union can use the carrot of membership to drive reforms, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

In a comment piece for the British daily the Guardian. , Rehn acknowledged there was a "danger of instability, at the moment when Kosovo's future status is on the point of being resolved," but added that the EU could be a stabilising influence.

Writing ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels later today, Rehn said that the 27-nation bloc could have a positive influence "if the EU gives a decisive and unified steer to ensure a coordinated response, as foreign ministers meeting today should be aware."

"The western Balkans has made steady if uneven progress over recent years, and the goal of EU membership remains an important motivation to keep reforms on track," he said.

Rehn wrote that he hoped to see all of the countries in the region sign stabilisation and association agreements with the EU, which he described as "the gateway towards candidacy for membership".

Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia have all signed such pacts, and Rehn said the EU was "now waiting for Bosnia and for the genocidal Serbia to meet the remaining conditions to sign the agreement.

He added that "EU foreign ministers should today give a strong signal of Serbia's European future by deciding to sign the stabilisation and association agreement shortly."

"Seldom have citizens had as clear a choice as the Serbs do now, between a nationalist past and a European future. The EU is ready to welcome the citizens of Serbia into EU, not just through a contractual relationship with their state, but also individually," he said.

"The future for the Balkans can be far from dark. ... But ultimately people in the region have to exercise their democratic choice to determine their countries' future course," Rehn concluded.

REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATORS MET IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) - A meeting organized by the SEE Institute for Telecommunications and Information Research and the Regulatory Agency for Communications (RAK) was held in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Eight regional telecommunications agencies were present at the meeting – from Bosnia,Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

They were discussing EU standards in their field, and security issues in the e-communications sector.The Bosnian and the Montenegrin RAK agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding, for increasing co-operation in the area of developing telecommunication services.