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Not to promise; not to make general expressions of support; but to back our fine words of support with hard cash. We are here - with Ambassadors of several countries and representatives of the European Union - to hand over the financial help which was promised to you just a few weeks ago. I am delighted to welcome Mr Kronenbourg and Mr Chiarini of the European Union, Ambassador Sluyter from the Netherlands, Ambassador Eliasson from Sweden, Ambassador Marcoux from Canada, and Ambassador Crawford from the United Kingdom. What I shall say now I say directly to the people of the RS: A few weeks ago you elected a new parliament which appointed the Government of Mr Dodik. Mr Dodik has made clear repeatedly that he and his government will work, together with President Plavsic, for the full implementation of Dayton Agreement. In the last few weeks Prime Minister Dodik has made successful visits to Germany and to the United States - visits which have brought the RS in from the cold, and helped to generate desperately needed aid. For the first time for a long time, the RS has a government which appears to be serious about fighting for the interests of its people. It is a government which offers you hope - hope of a job, hope that your pensions and salaries will be paid, hope that your kids will get an education and will live in peace. We in the international community are prepared to join hands with Mr Dodik and his Government. We look to him to fulfill his pledges. And we work hard to help him to do so. Today represents the first fruit of this new political engagement. The international community is digging into its pocket to help the people of the RS. It is putting its money where its mouth is. Today we all come together to show you what a new political approach can bring. Today we will sign for more than 15 million DM of direct aid to you. Today I will sign the authorisation to release the first disbursement of more than 4 million DM. This money will be used to pay salaries for teachers and professors of primary schools, secondary schools and in the higher education sector, as well as customs officers and financial police officers. All of you will be paid next week through Banja Luka Bank. Further payments will follow for other sectors of the administration of Republika Srpska. As long as the Government here continues to work with us to implement the Dayton agreement, which is the only realistic way ahead, I will press the international community to provide more help to you. No one pretends that this aid will solve all the problems overnight. The problems are huge, deep seated and will take years to resolve. Today does not mark the end of the economic and social crisis for the people of the RS. But it is, at least, the beginning of the end. After this ceremony, I shall be leaving for Zagreb to see President Tudjman. I will be asking him to put a stop discriminating against RS citizens who wish to enter Croatia. I shall press him to allow Krajina Serbs to return. And I shall press him to return the Sava river to full use. So I shall be battling for your interests. Finally, let me express my deep gratitude to the European Union, to the Swedish and Dutch Governments for the money which they have already provided - and to the Canadian and British Governments for the aid they will provide in the next few days. This is not money which grows on trees or falls from heaven. It is money hard earned by European or North American taxpayers. It could be paying salaries and for hospitals and schools in those countries. But instead it has been given to pay salaries, build hospitals, homes and schools in the Republika Srpska, to put this place back to work. You won't owe anyone the money; you won't be in any debt; but you do, I suggest, owe it to the countries giving the money to succeed - and I am sure that you will.
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