30.05.2006 OHR Sarajevo

Transcript of the International Agencies’ Joint Press Conference

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OHR, Sanela Tunovic
EUPM, Monja Koluder
EUFOR, Karen Halsey

 

OHR

Sarajevo to be New Stability Pact HQ?

As we speak, the High Representative is addressing a major meeting of the Stability Pact in Belgrade.

The High Representative is highlighting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leading role in the Stability Pact (the organisation’s first summit was held in Sarajevo in 1999) and he will be making the case that Southeast Europe as a whole can learn from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s successful efforts to change its international image in a positive way.

Recent substantial improvements in the BiH business environment have prompted Moody’s Investor Service to upgrade Bosnia and Herzegovina’s credit rating from B3 to B2. This and other successes is helping BiH to re-brand itself successfully and thus attract the kind of investment that will help create new jobs. The High Representative will argue that this and other factors recommends Sarajevo as an obvious candidate to host the Stability Pact’s secretariat.

I quote: “ Bosnia and Herzegovina long ago ceased to be a byword for mayhem and is increasingly being seen as a model of postwar recovery. This is consistent with our new reality. A similar transformation in the image of Southeast Europe – from modest growth to high growth, from tentative interaction with the rest of the world to self-confident interaction – will also be consistent with the region’s reality. In this respect I believe Sarajevo must be viewed as a strong contender to host the secretariat of the reformed Stability Pact.”

I’ve brought along copies of the speech.

SME Development Means Job Creation: PDHR

The Principal Deputy High Representative, Larry Butler is chairing a roundtable in Zenica this morning, after which he will travel to Banja Luka , where he will have meetings this afternoon and tomorrow with business and political leaders.

In Zenica and Banja Luka the Principal Deputy High Representative will be discussing steps that must be taken without further delay (such as the enactment of a BiH Law on Obligations and the creation of a single banking supervision system) in order to improve the BiH business environment so as to attract investment, create jobs and raise living standards.

In other transition economies, the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise sector has served as a springboard to prosperity, and in Zenica this morning Ambassador Butler will hear from SME representatives about the challenges they face in their efforts to expand their companies and thus create jobs.

Today’s meeting is being hosted by the Zenica Business Service Centre, and among the themes discussed will be ways in which Business Service Centres and similar agencies can provide logistical and lobbying assistance to the SME sector.

Later today in Banja Luka , Ambassador Butler will meet RS Banking Supervisor Slavica Injac to discuss the steps being taken to centralize banking supervision and thus provide greater security for depositors. He will also meet the RS Director for Privatization Vladimir Mackic.

At 17.30 Ambassador Butler will make a short statement to the media following his meeting at the RS Banking Agency.

Mostar budget

The High Representative today welcomed the news that the Mostar City Council passed the City budget during the City Council session on Monday, and encouraged the Council to resolve other outstanding issues currently blocking the integration of the city.

“This is very important first step by Mostar’s CC into the right direction after I had spoken to Mostar political leaders last week in Sarajevo . I encourage them to continue to harmonize the budget with the City Statute and I hope that all parties will be able to resolve outstanding budget items as we discussed.

Mostar will get my full support in final resolution of longstanding controversial issues. However, I will keep with close monitoring over how the political leaders continue to fulfill their obligations towards citizens of Mostar.

I hope that the City Council will be able to follow this progress through and complete of the formation of the City Administration, as well as the establishment of a single public works company in Mostar prior to the meeting of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board towards the end of June.”

 

EUPM

EUPM sponsors PR training for police spokespersons

Establishing an effective communication with citizens and building up a good relationship between police and the media is of key importance for a successful outcome of police activities, as well as for further building up of the citizens’ confidence in police. The European Union Police Mission (EUPM) has therefore in cooperation with the Centre for Strategy and Communication of the Media Centar Sarajevo organised Public Relations (PR) Skills training programme to provide further support to police forces to that end.

During the two-week training, the attendees gain knowledge in the field of the PR techniques and methods such as event management, production of promotional material, presentation skills, relations with the media etc. They also have an advanced training in the field of strategic communication planning, development of media campaigns and crisis communication.

The training involved 34 participants from all cantonal interior ministries, the RS MoI, the Brcko District Police, the State Border Service, the State Investigation and Protection Agency and the BiH Ministry of Security. It is conducted by the leading BIH PR professionals of the Media Centar Sarajevo together with trainers from their partner organisation – The Centre for Strategy and Communication (CSC) from London.

The training programme will conclude with the certificates awarded ceremony to be issued by both Media Centar Sarajevo and CSC London. For further information please contact EUPM Senior Spokesperson Zinaida Ilaria at 033 752 889 or 061 144 310.

 

EUFOR

No statement.

 

RTQs

Žana Kovačević, Radio Free Europe:

A question for the OHR. Could the OHR explain what would the consequences for Prime Minister Dodik be if the High Representative decides to use the Bonn powers? Mr.    Christian Schwarz-Schilling yesterday commented on the announcement Prime Minister Dodik made concerning the organisation of a referendum on the separation of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina .   Does this mean that PM Dodik will share the same fate as Mr.Šarović and the other dismissed officials in Republica Srpska? 

Sanela Tunović, OHR:

I absolutely cannot answer that question, as anything I say will only be speculation. Therefore, the statement we gave yesterday still stands and if necessary I can repeat what we said in the statement. At this moment we really cannot make any assumptions about what will happen, what might happen or what might not happen in the next few days.