| BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Q” fever in Banja Luka | Ante Jelavic indicted | Radovanovic in Brussels |
| Reforms in BiH army | “Q” fever in BiH | Q” fever in BiH |
| Agreement of BiH and SCG | Defense law in BiH | Hajducke Vode |
| Situation in Iraq | Revenge of Al Kaida | Iraq |
| Oslobodjenje | Srebrenica: Peacetime purgatory after wartime hell |
| Dnevni Avaz | BiH still far from PfP – Rejection in Istanbul to abolish RS? |
| Dnevni List | Siroki Brijeg the champions |
| Vecernji List | Vc down the Neretva valley or through west Herzegovina |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Vlado Cosic lived in Zadar under false name of Ivan Vuleta |
| Glas Srpske | Update to Kotorsko: Mayor demands deprivation; Charles Pegna: Shelter in the Balkans |
| Nezavisne Novine | Epidemic in Banjaluka spreading: Around 100 people has Q fever; Michael Humphreys: BiH will not get closer to EU unless it is admitted into PfP; Doboj: Main officer in “Hajducke Vode” action dismissed from police force |
| Blic | They threat to mother and sister of Zoran Djindjic |
Defence | |
| Radovanovic visits Brussels
| FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Compliments to the BiH defence reform’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Scheffer praised defence reform’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Radovanovic informed NATO officials of defence reform’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘NATO satisfied with defense reform’ by Nina, ONASA-BETA – President and prime ministers of NATO member-countries will, at the Istanbul Summit in June, “positively asses the efforts, especially of BiH, as well as Serbia and Montenegro, in being admitted into the Partnership for Peace, even if it the admission decision is not passed at that time,” a NATO official said after Wednesday’s meeting of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and BiH Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic. Scheffer said that the NATO Council is of the opinion that “defense reforms in BiH are progressing well,” although the country must fully cooperate with the ICTY. Asked whether the admission of BiH into the Partnership can be expected in June, prior to the apprehension of war criminals Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, Radovanovic said that this is a “matter of consensus of the 26 NATO member-countries.” He added that the decision will probably be known before the Summit, and that there is a possibility that it will be negative. Radovanovic also met with the EU High Representative for the Security and Foreign Policy Javier Solana, whom he told that BiH is interested in the EU taking over the peace mission in BiH from SFOR adding however that “it is in the interest of BiH for the security to remain at the present level.” |
| DA: BiH still far from PfP | Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Rejection in Istanbul to abolish RS?’ by S. Numanovic – As it stands now BiH will not been invited at the NATO Summit in Istanbul in June to join Partnership for Peace, learns Dnevni Avaz form several diplomatic sources in Brussels. The reasons for such decision lies with the persistent RS authorities’ unwillingness to arrest persons indicted for war crimes particularly Radovan Karadzic. If BiH is not admitted into PfP in June reforms will have to be implemented that will additional strengthen state bodies while reducing competencies and strength of RS. |
| Names submitted of new Bosniak, Croat candidates for the top military posts | BHTV, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Miroslav Nikolic submitted a list of candidates’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Nikolic submitted names of the seven new candidates’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Nikolic prepared new 14 officers for Radovanovic’ – Federation of BiH Defence Minister Miroslav Nikolic on Wednesday submitted a list of seven new Bosniak and Croat candidates for the top military posts in BiH to the state Defence Minister, Nikola Radovanovic. Nikolic did not want to reveal the names until SFOR completes vetting procedure. |
| FBiH HoR discussed draft defence law | BHTV, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Two components of FBiH Army – result of agreement between Tihic and Covic’, mentioned on cover, by E. Mackic, says that an emergency session of the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH Parliament was interrupted since a big number of amendments to a Proposal of FBiH Law on the Defense had been submitted. DL says that most of the amendments demand that the FBiH Army is multi-ethnic and not divided in two components. SDP representative Slavisa Sucur stated: “Existence of 2 components is unacceptable since three ethnic armies are being formed and we all know that there is the Decision on Constituency of Peoples.” DL goes on to say that a big number of amendments might change this proposal completely and for this reason a deadline by the beginning of the next week has been set to the FBiH Government to consider all amendments and declare itself on them. Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Two components are not obstacle to NATO’, mentioned on cover ‘110 amendments to proposal of new law’, by D. Jazvic, also deals with this issue. VL carries that President of the Caucus of HDZ-CCD-HNZ Coalition Ivan Madunic stated that this Coalition would not support the proposal of the aforementioned law if the amendment that abolishes two components of the FBiH Army is adopted and that FBiH Defense Minister Miroslav Nikolic said that preserving of 2 components in the FBiH Army is not an obstacle to Partnership for Peace. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Discussion on defence law postponed’ also reported on the session. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Oslobodjenje on poor social/economic situation in Srebrenica | Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Peacetime purgatory after wartime hell’ by V. Jahic – President of the SDP BiH Municiapl Board in Srebrenica and deputy to the Municiapl Council in the town Hakija Meholjic claims that the top leaderships of SDA and SDS want to completely destroy Srebrenica. Her says that Serbs are voluntarily moving out from Srebrenica while Bosniak are not returning to the town since they have no fundamental living conditions there. |
| Q fever spreading
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Around 100 people got sick’ mentioned on cover ‘Around 100 people has Q fever’; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Fever fills hospital’ – Srboljub Golubovic, Head of Epidemic Department at Banjaluka Clinical Centre, yesterday confirmed that the total of 100 patients with symptoms of Q fever have so far been examined, out of whom 42 have been admitted to hospital and the rest were sent home for home treatment. He stressed that the Banjaluka Clinical Centre officials have undertaken numerous activities in order to ensure a constant supply of medicines used for the treatment of this epidemic. FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 7, Blic, pg 13 ‘Epidemic proclaimed’ mentioned on cover ‘90 people infected with Q-fever’ also covered the issue. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘No children with symptoms at the moment’ – Drago Dragic, Director of the Banjaluka Centre for pre-school training, yesterday confirmed that not a single case of children with Q fever has so far been recorded amongst the children going to Centre. |
| Kotorsko case | Glas Srpske cover pg report ‘Mayor demands deprivation’ – Obren Petrovic, Doboj Mayor, yesterday told GS that the displaced Serbs cannot resume construction works in Kotorsko. The building of Serb houses may cause bad consequences for the entire municipality, according to him. He said: “At tomorrow’s (Thursday) session of the Doboj Assembly, I will propose that orders in land allocation are annulled, after which the construction permits should be annulled as well.” |
| DA: Joly Dixon and three ministers offered resignations | Dnevni Avaz pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘Joly Dixon and three ministers offered resignations’ – According to the daily the Steering Board of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration has made not a single decision at a total of 11 session held so far. Although the Board have had certain draft laws on the table not a single of them have been passed and according to ITA Director Kemal Causevic it is not about different opinions at the expert’s level. Due to such an inefficient work of the Board, Chairman of the body Joly Dixon and the state and entity’s finance ministers Ljerka Maric, Branko Krsmanovic and Dragan Vrankic have offered their resignations from the membership in the Board. |
| Interview with Hercegovacka Banka Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson | Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Big financial profit for Croatian consortium’ not signed carries parts of the interview that Hercegovacka Banka Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson gave to HTV Oscar C. Robinson said that the engagement of the Croatian consortium in the sale of the HB should not be understood as a donation or humanitarian gesture but exclusively as a business move in which an investor wants to achieve a profit. She also said that the Croatian consortium had the best offer. Replying to a question whether the sale of the bank to the Croatian consortium was agreed between High Representative Paddy Ashdown and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Robinson said that she is not familiar with this kind of deal. |
| SD says PM Terzic is going out with wrong information on investments into BiH | Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 12 ‘Small error of some 463 million KMs’, by D. Pasic – talking about recent statements by the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, who said that in first three months of 2004 direct investments to BiH amounted to 569,3 million KMs, namely Lithuania (456,3 million into Aluminum Oxide Plant Birac of Zvornik), followed by Croatia (50,7 million) and Italy (21,3 million), the author says Terzic’s information are utterly wrong. According to SD, Lithuanians bought the Plant for 50 million KMs and obliged themselves to invest further 11 million KMs. Furthermore, SD says that according to data coming from the RS Ministry of Economy and Energy, only 2 million KMs have been invested into the Plant in first three months of 2004. |
| On construction of Corridor Vc through Herzegovina | Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Corridor Vc divides western Herzegovina’, mentioned on cover ‘Corridor Vc along Neretva valley or through western Herzegovina’, by Z. Kresic, A. Drmac, carries that the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton organized yesterday a public discussion on collection of plans and studies for the public tender for the construction of Corridor Vc. HNC Minister of Traffic and Communications Stjepan Krasic refused to comment on the Corridor’s route. VL says that according to their information, the route not far from the current highway along Neretva valley and the route that will practically divide the western Herzegovina stand equal chances to be the future routes of Corridor Vc. |
| On privatisation in RS | Nacional Belgrade daily, pg. 18 ‘Privatisation is a synonym for theft’ by B. D. – Most of economists and politicians in RS agree with thesis saying that the privatisation in RS is ‘an other name for theft’. The authority rejects its responsibility and blames other for such a privatisation, while economists claim the authority has done everything in its power for the privatisation to fail. RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic holds the International Community responsible. ‘The key obstacle to accelerating the privatisation are large debts of firms. In order to resolve this, a clear legislative provisions must be defined’’, Mikerevic explained. |
| Serb Poste on payments of pensions
| Blic, pg. 16 ‘More expensive payments of pensions’ by SRNA – The Executive Director of “Srpske Poste” (RS Post Office Company), Milutin Pejic, yesterday announced the possibility that the Post Office would increase fees on payments of pensions to pensioners in RS. Pejic assessed that the PIO Fund, by publishing a tender for selection of the most favourable distributor of pensions, is actually applying pressure on the Post to reduce the price of its services, which might cause an opposite effect, bring to breaking of a contract and force the Post Office to charge the distribution in accordance to market prices that are much higher than the current ones. |
Security/investigations/judiciary | |
| OHR denies they have requested investigation into war crimes against Serbs in Brcko
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘The investigation into crimes against Serbs was not requested’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 11 ‘Sontheim did not request investigation into alleged crimes against Serbs’, FENA – The Brcko Regional Office of the High Representative has denied SRNA’s news carried by leading electronic and printed media in the Republika Srpska that the deputy supervisor, Gerhard Sontheim, had asked the Public Prosecutor to launch an investigation into the crimes committed against the Serbs in Brcko during the war. “The allegations in the SRNA’s news of May 11 that the OHR demands an investigation into the committed war crimes are not true. This question is for competent institutions to address. The OHR has received the material related to the issues that are out of the OHR mandate. The material was forwarded to a competent institution without any comment or request”, declared the Brcko OHR spokesperson, Suzana Pejcic, in a statement for the FENA, adding that the OHR had asked SRNA to correct its error. |
| OHR welcomes adoption of the Law on HJPC | Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Key decision for Rule of Law’, Dnevni List, pg 12 ‘Adoption of law on HJPC welcomed’, by D. Kozina, Slobodna Dalmacija, page 12 ‘OHR welcomes law on judiciary’, by Z. Z., FENA – “The High Representative in BiH, Paddy Ashdown, welcomes the adoption of the BiH Law on High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council by the BiH House of Representatives” said the OHR South spokesperson, Sanela Tunovic, at Wednesday’s press conference in Mostar. “The High Representative holds that with the adoption of this Law BiH has fulfilled one of 16 conditions it has to fulfill before the European Commission starts negotiations with BiH on stabilisation and association agreement”, said Tunovic. The House of Peoples is supposed to discuss this Law on May 21 this year. Ashdown expects its delegates to show the same commitment to Europe and the rule of law as their colleagues in the BiH HoR did, according to the OHR spokesperson. |
| Bills of indictment against Jelavic, Prce and Rupcic | BHTV, FTV, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Jelavic, Rupcic and Prce remain in custody until the end of criminal procedure’, mentioned on cover, by N. Dedic, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Indictment against Jelavic filed’, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 carry that Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecution special department, which is in charge of the fight against organized crime and corruption, John McNair, yesterday issued bills of indictment against suspects in the Hercegovacka Banka case, Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic. DL says that McNair’s office confirmed this information and according to unofficial information the three of them have been charged with criminal acts committed in the area of economic crimes. Also, according to the people from the BiH Prosecution the three of them will remain in custody until the end of the criminal procedure. The article says that it has been expected that the BiH Prosecution will give the explanation of the bills of indictment issued against Jelavic, Prce and Rupcic today. |
| Update to Hajducke Vode case | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 5 ‘Main officer in “Hajducke Vode” action dismissed from police force‘ – Disciplinary Court of Doboj Public Security Centre yesterday decided to dismiss the inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department of this PSC, who led the police action at “Hajducke Vode” (Zoran Kovacevic), while two other police officers were fined for omissions during the action (Drazenko Lukic and Dejan Zuza). The Disciplinary Council also freed of any responsibility 11 charged policemen, who also took part in this action. The Council decided to dismiss Kovacevic for having performed the action without a prior assent given by the investigating judge, and also for having failed to inform the prosecutor about the operation. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Kovacevic fired, Lukic, Zuza fined’, Blic, pg. 13 ‘Dismissal for inspector, two get smaller salaries’ by SRNA also covered the issue. |
| Comments on Njegus memo on Crime acts
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘MoI: Increase of crime acts in RS for 50% is not alarming’ – Goran Radivojac, Spokesperson of the Republika Srpska Government, said that Government will announce its position on the information related to increase of crime acts and security affairs in Republika Srpska after Republika Srpska Interior Ministry forwards information on it to this institution. Zoran Glusac, Spokesperson of the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry, said that: “The information presented is not alarming, because the percentage of closure of police cases in any European state of 30% and above are viewed as satisfactory.” Bozidar Vucurevic, member of SDS main Board, said that following disclosure of this information on crime acts, the leading officials of Republika Srpska Interior Ministry should resign. Nevenka Trifkovic, PDP official, is of the view that the warning of Police Director on situation in Republika Srpska says it is high time for further professionalisation of police. |
| Terzic on appointments of Dzuvo and Zaric | Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Terzic: I do not know for investigations against Dzuvo and Zaric’ – The Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, yesterday stated that Almir Dzuvo and Risto Zaric can be appointed as leading officials of the state intelligence agency with a full assent of his deputies, BiH Presidency, Parliamentary Commission for supervision of intelligence agencies and the international community. He further said that: “High Representative has given his assent for the appointment of Dzuvo and Zaric to the positions of Director and Deputy Director of OSA respectively. Mladen Alpeza did not pass vetting procedure… I have already forwarded my proposal on their appointment to BiH Presidency and BiH Parliamentary Commission and I expect to hear their views soon. “ He said he has no knowledge of the ongoing investigation against Dzuvo, run by the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office. Also, NN reports that Zaric has a denunciation hanging above him for the illegal tapping of Biljana Plavsic, the former President of Republika Srpska. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Proceddure launched to appoint Almir Dzuvo and Risto Zaric’ also carried Terzic’s statement on the issue. NN further quotes the OHR Head of Communication, Julian Braithwaite, as saying that: “The responsibility for the candidatures and appointments of director and deputy directors of OSA rests with local institutions. They will be responsible for the selection of officials assuming positions.” NN learnt from a source close to OHR that the US Embassy has asked from the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, to re-consider his decision on these appointments. |
| Update to tragic death of Judge Trbojevic | Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Prosecutor’s Office is sending findings to Tuzla’ – Banjaluka District Prosecutor’s Office has so far compiled a large majority of the documentation related to the tragic death of the Banjaluka Basic Court Judge Mirjana Trbojevic. Sead Zeric, Banjaluka Deputy District Prosecutor, yesterday said that Prosecutor’s Office has received autopsy findings compiled by pathologist Zeljko Karan. The ballistic report is still awaited for. He said that after the documentation is compiled it would be forwarded for further analysis to Dr Zdenko Cihlraz, forensic expert and professor at Tuzla Medical Faculty. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Addition expertise in Tuzla’, Blic, pg. 12 ‘Evidence at expertise in Tuzla’ by T.V. also covered the issue. |
| Terrorists from Balkans trained by Al Q’Aeda | Glas Srpske cover pg report ‘Shelter in the Balkans’; Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Terrorists were trained in the Balkans’ – Both dailies carry the statement by Charles Pegna, senior analyst with the “Ceito” Institute for foreign affairs and defence, who claims that AL Q’Aeda trained many Muslims from the Balkans. He does not exclude the possibility that these trained people are still in the Balkans region. He said that: “Balkans has become a natural ground for Al Q’Aeda’s infiltration and for its use of the local Muslim population as a shelter for its activities.” |
| On meeting between Mikerevic and Carty | Dnevni List pg 6 ‘SIPA will have crucial role in struggle against BiH crime’ by Nina carries that RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic talked in Banja Luka yesterday with EU Police Commissioner Kevin Carty about the current security issues in BiH and the RS. During this talk Mikerevic gave support to work and development of SIPA and judged that SIPA will have a main role in the struggle against crime in BiH. The two of them also discussed continuation of the security forces reform in BiH in terms of their further restructuring. |
Political developments/BiH-international community | |
| Ashdown visits Kakanj and Zenica
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Young people can change BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Young people must involve in politics’, FENA – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on Wednesday visited non-governmental organization – Eko movement “Tutto Completo” in Catici near Kakanj, where he talked with leaders of the organization, as well as its activists, who are dealing in protection of the environment. During his visit to Kakanj, the High Representative also visited the High School Centre, where he held an open discussion with the students. “I asked them what they would do for this country if they were in my place and whether they would participate in the local elections, i.e. what they dislike in BiH and how they see the country’s future”, said Ashdown. Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Young people can change BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘These children need assistance the most’, FENA – The High Representative also visited the children’s centre “Most” in Zenica, which accommodates tens of boys and girls who had lost their families during the war. “A state can be recognized by the manner it is treating those on the bottom. In this home great attempts are being made to provide the children with an opportunity for success in their lives. I call on the Government to set the minimal standards in society for looking after these people, and cantons and municipalities to pay their commitments. Apart from Canton Sarajevo and Brcko District, the other cantons are either late or are not paying their commitments at all”, warned Ashdown. Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Ashdown dissatisfied with the authority approach towards challenged children’, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Improving of social welfare after children without parental care’ by Zeda and Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16 ‘Ashdown in Kakanj and Zenica’ by I.M. also covered the HR’s visit to Kakanj and Zenica. |
| Michael Humphreys in Banjaluka | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 9 ‘BiH will not get closer to EU unless it is admitted into PfP’; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Keys in Istanbul’ – During yesterday’s visit to Banjaluka, Michael Humphreys, Head of EC Mission to BiH, warned that BiH will not get a green light for initiating talks on its admission into EU unless it is first invited to become a member of NATO PfP programme. He further said that the BiH admission into PfP depends on “demonstrated level of co-operation of BiH authorities with the Hague Tribunal , including arrests of war crime suspects and review into financial flows and network for support of war crime suspects.” He further assessed the BiH co-operation on the fulfilment of the remaining conditions from EU Feasibility Study as positive. RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, said that the Republika Srpska Government has something to praise with regarding the fulfilment of conditions from EU Feasibility Study. After holding a separate meeting with Humphreys, Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, said that BiH path towards Europe “is not a path of negotiations, but fulfilment of pre-requisites on which negotiations may be held.” Humphreys yesterday also met with the RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Kalinic. Kalinic said that the SDS will cooperate with the international auditor noting it would not tolerate if auditor exceeded their mandate. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 9 ‘No progress without The Hague’, by A. Macanovic, Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘Partnership for peace in June or no negotiations on joining EU?’, not signed, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Joining Partnership for peace a pre-requisite for Europe’, by bs, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘BiH cannot join EU without cooperation with the Hague’, Blic, pg. 12 ‘Europe is still far away’ by Sanja Srdic also covered the visit. |
| DL: ‘Foreigners are again tailoring BiH’s future?’ | Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Foreigners are again tailoring BiH’s future?’, by Arijana Beus – in light of the World Bank’s decision to withdraw the Project of restructuring of educational sector due to failure to adopt the Framework higher education law, the author notes that BiH has again found itself in a situation that other players are ‘setting rules of the game’. In that context, Beus says in most of cases before, it was the High Representative who did that, but now it seems that the same is being done by other institutions that are in position to set out terms. Acknowledging that BiH politicians cannot reach an agreement in several matters, because they have their own opinion and because they represent interests of respective peoples, the author claims that BiH citizens and wondering more and more as to when the foreigners will stop interfering into the destiny of BiH, because the citizens elected its officials to lead them, not a group of foreigners. |
| Seminar on multi-religion and European integration | Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘BiH needs 1200 new laws to join EU’, by Hina – judge of the BiH Court, Vlado Adamovic, stated at a seminar on multi-religion and European integration, which was organized in Mostar under auspices of the US Government and Council of Europe on Tuesday evening, that en route to European institutions, BiH would have to adopt 1200 new laws. Adamovic reminded that when it comes to European integration, BiH would have to go a similar path Slovenia had taken before it joined the EU. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 17 ‘New conflicts – when SFOR leaves?’, by M. Landeka, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘BiH needs 1200 new laws to join EU’, not signed – the President of Multi-religious Council of BiH, Jakov Finci, warned that the current education system, as Finci puts it, “teaches children that our neighbors are enemies, and after the NATO withdrawal from BiH, it could cause a new war”. Finci continues: “Europe will only accept single BiH, which can be organized in entities, cantons, in other words the way we agree upon”. |
| Wnendt met with President of SGV Mirko Pejanovic | Dnevni List pg 13 ‘Wnendt met with President of SGV Mirko Pejanovic’ by Ninacarries that on the tenth Anniversary of The Serb Civic Council (SGV) Senior Deputy High Representative, Ambassador Werner Wnendt, met on Monday with prof. Mirko Pejanovic, President of the SGV. During the meeting issue of sustainable return was discussed and noted that the process of return was transferred to the local authorities who now have to play the main role in that respect while the International Community will remain in monitoring the process and providing a necessary political support. Wnendt met with President of SGV Mirko Pejanovic’ Using this opportunity SDHR Wnendt thanked the SGV for their involvement in Mostar reunification process where SGV contributed constructively in representing Serb’s interests in the future organization of Mostar especially with regard to positioning of the representatives of the Serb people in the governmental institutions at all levels in accordance with the constitutional changes. |
| BiH Presidency in Iran | Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Covic: Iran supports BiH’s road to European integration’, by Zoran Kresic – the Croat member of BiH Presidency that is currently visiting Iran, Dragan Covic, told the daily that the Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, and Ayatollah, Seyed Ali Khamenei, in talks with the three members of BiH Presidency talked about strengthening of relations between BiH and Iran. According to Covic, BiH received an absolute support from Iran to establish a multi-ethnic state, which is on the road towards European integration. Furthermore, Covic called for strengthening of economic cooperation, announcing reaching of agreement on free trade that would eliminate customs-related barriers. In context of economic relations, Covic sees potential in cooperating more in metal and car industry. All BiH both electronic and print media also reported on the visit. |