Speeches

Banja Luka, 04 May 2001 Prime Minister Ivanic; Ambassador Eliason; Ladies and Gentlemen; Today's railway conference gives me an excellent opportunity to underline my number one priority in Bosnia and Herzegovina: economic reform. It is the country's railways that go to the very heart of the problems we face in trying to bring Bosnia and Herzegovina [...]

New York, 22 March 2001 Honorable President, Members of the Security Council, I speak to you at a testing time for the hard won peace in the Balkans. The smoke over mountain villages and the angry crackle of gunfire have come back to haunt us in Macedonia and Serbia.

NATO Headquarters, Brussels, 19 March 2001 I speak to you at a critical time for the Alliance. European and North American leaders face the specter of war in Macedonia. After 10 years, after all our efforts, all our warnings, there is a horrible sense of déjr vu. Another horrific round of brutal ethnic cleansing and massed movements of desperate re [...]

Brussels, 19 March 2001 I address you at a time when the Balkans is back in the headlines and once again ­ all for the wrong reasons. From the outside, it all looks frighteningly messy and horribly complex. Let me assure you that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanks to our joint strategic and systematic approach, and despite the occasional undesirable [...]

Brcko, 08 March 2001 Mayor Kisic; President Djapo; Ambassador Matthews; Ladies and Gentlemen; The Brcko District's first year has flown by and you have passed many testing times with flying colours. It is a very great pleasure to be here today to congratulate all of you on your dedication and pioneering work in creating what I personally hope is th [...]

Brussels, 22 January 2001 Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon! There is a wide perception ­ and relief - that the various Balkan crises are over. The television crews are leaving Belgrade. You can withdraw cash from bank machines on a Sarajevo street.

Brussels, 15 December 2000 Mister President, Secretary General, Excellencies, It is a great honor and a timely opportunity for me to address you this morning – five years and one day after the Dayton Accords, ending the war in BiH, were signed in Paris. There is a quickening of the tempo of affairs in Bosnia which we must respond to together [...]

Stockholm, 14 December 2000 Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning! As the year draws to a close and we prepare to celebrate our various holidays here in Europe: Bajram and two sets of Christmases I want to stand back and take a look at not only what is taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina today but also what this country means for us all as Europe [...]

Zagreb, 24 November 2000 President Mesic, President Chirac, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; Only a few weeks ago, not many of us here today thought such a summit was possible. It is fitting that we meet here in Zagreb. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the lead Croatia has taken in setting a new course -- and new democratic sta [...]

Vienna, 20 November 2000 Madam Chairperson, Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Ambassador Barry has briefed you thoroughly on the November 11th poll so I will limit myself to a few words on the third post-Dayton general elections. But first of all, let me use this occasion to congratulate Ambassador Barry and his staff on the extremely well orga [...]