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Also attending the gathering were High Representative Carl Bildt, OSCE Chairman-in Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Flavio Cotti and OSCE Mission Head Robert Frowick, Supreme Allied Commander General George Joulwan and IFOR Commander Admiral Leighton Smith, and representatives of Contact Group countries and international organizations participating in implementation of the Agreement. Noting that this was one of a series of meetings that will take place during June, including the Berlin Contact Group Ministerial, the Florence Mid-Term Review Conference and the Lyon Summit, which will provide added impetus to the peace process, the Presidents and the representatives of the entities welcomed the continued, active engagement of the Contact Group and the international community. They also expressed full support for the work of the High Representative and the Implementation Force. Joined by representatives of the two Bosnian entities, the Presidents emphasized that the most important next step in the peace process will be to hold free and fair elections within the time period established by the Agreement. They recommitted themselves to the task of establishing the necessary conditions for these elections under the supervision of the OSCE. Delay in the elections risks widening the divisions which continue to exist. The Presidents and Entity representatives stressed that free and fair elections will provide a democratic mandate for the governmental institutions to be established within the Entities and at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They stressed their common conviction that rapid establishment of these institutions is essential if the process of building a democratic society which enjoys the support of all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to succeed. Having consulted with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Mission Head, the three Presidents and the Entity delegations endorsed the announcement of a date on which elections will be held on the basis of the conditions specified by the OSCE and the Agreement. In their view, establishment of a specific date will provide a focus for the work remaining to achieve the full standards established by the OSCE. Achievement of these standards is essential for the holding of free and fair elections. The Presidents and Entity representatives also agreed to a series of concrete steps to help meet the standards established by the OSCE. They agreed that full respect for the rules and regulations established by the Provisional Election Commission on the basis of the peace agreement will be necessary if the elections are to meet these standards and welcomed the assistance of the OSCE and other international organizations in providing assistance to the parties in creating the conditions for elections. In recognition of their responsability for creating momentum for peace, the Presidents and Entity representatives, along with the other participants, also agreed that establishment of a lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina requires full implementation of all provisions of the Agreement, in addition to those concerning elections. They committed themselves to building confidence among the communities and peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the peace process and agreed to refrain from any statement or action which might undermine implementation of the peace agreement. They noted in particular:
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