PIC Steering Board Political Directors Meeting The Political Directors of the Peace Implementation Steering Board, under the chairmanship of the High Representative, started the meeting at 09:00 this morning. Topics of their agenda include reviewing the progress that has been made in Defence, Intelligence, and Indirect Tax reform and discussing the current effort to resolve the status of Mostar. At today’s meeting, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic will report on progress made by the BiH authorities in launching a wholesale reform of Public Administration, with the aim of reducing bureaucracy, increasing services to citizens and ending the waste of hundreds of millions of KM every year. Secretary-General Enes Becirbasic of the Standing Committee on Military Matters will join Prime Minister Terzic to brief the PIC on the work of setting up a BiH Defence Ministry and establishing clear command and control of the armed forces at state level. Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic will join Prime Minister Terzic to report on the authorities’ plan for prompt implementation of reforms required before Stabilisation and Association negotiations with the EU can begin and before BiH can become a member of Partnership for Peace. Yesterday’s meeting of an experts nominated by the Peace Implementation Council, representatives of international financial institutions and aid organisations, the BiH authorities and OHR was very successful. It gives to BiH authorities and the IC an opportunity to re-focus on core economic tasks and ensure that implementation is properly coordinated and timely. Statement on the BiH Economy available outside.
12/11/2003