Sullivan
OSCE, Aida Besic
EUPM, Zinaida Ilaria
EUFOR, Tim Smith
NATO, Derek Chappell
OHR
Press Conference on Current Situation in BiH
The High Representative and other members of the International Community will
hold a press conference here at the OHR on Thursday at which they will comment
on the principal issues facing
Herzegovina
secure a green light to start Stabilisation and Association talks with the EU by
the tenth anniversary of
Way
SDHR Martin Ney is in Butmir this morning, addressing officers of the Armed
Forces of BiH who are taking part in a Peace
Support
elsewhere in the region and further afield in
Europe
also taking part in this seminar.
Ambassador Ney will make the point that Defence Reform has shown the way
forward for BiH in its efforts to integrate in Euro-Atlantic structures. As a
result of a realistic and constructive approach by all sides, BiH now has the
prospect of armed forces that reflect its needs and its financial resources and
that are clearly predicated on ensuring the security of citizens – which is the
core duty of armed forces in any democracy.
Although BiH has we just experienced a significant setback in its efforts to
start Stabilisation and Association talks with the European Union, Ambassador
Ney will point out that in other areas “BiH is moving forward at a pace that
would have been considered unrealizable even two or three years ago. Defence
Reform is proceeding on schedule – and that means the benefits can start to be
delivered without unnecessary delay.”
Ambassador Ney will also emphasize that “the scope for the BiH Armed Forces
to establish a distinctive niche in international peacekeeping – consistent with
this country’s particular logistical and personnel resources – is very large
indeed,” and that “the rehabilitation of the BiH Armed Forces under the Defence
Reform process offers pointers to the broader postwar rehabilitation of BiH
itself.”
Helicopter Crash Memorial Ceremony
Representatives of the International Community and the BiH authorities will
take part in a memorial ceremony at
Prokosko
Lake
, near Fojnica, tomorrow at
11.00. The ceremony will mark the eighth anniversary of the helicopter crash in
which seven staff members of former UNMIBH and five OHR staff members were
killed.
OHR will provide transport for journalists wishing to cover the ceremony.
Journalists who intend to use this transport are kindly asked to contact the OHR
Press Office, by 16.00 today. Journalist who decide to go with their own
transportation are advised to be outside the Police station in Fojnica tomorrow
at 09.30.
OSCE
Ambassador Douglas Davidson visits Prozor-Rama today
Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Head of the OSCE Mission to
Bosnia and Herzegovina
, is visiting the
Marko
Marulic
Primary School
in Prozor-Rama today. He will meet with
teachers, students, and parents at the school as well as with the Mayor of
the Municipality and representatives of the youth organisation Fenix.
Ambassador Davidson is making the trip in order to see for himself what is
happening with education in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in light of the
recent decisions taken by municipal authorities in Prozor-Rama and Capljina.
The restructuring of schools appears to have had the practical effect of
dividing schools on the basis of ethnicity. Ambassador Davidson will discuss
with local authorities the importance of complying with the spirit of the
Framework Law on Primary and Secondary Education and the commitment to create
“multi-ethnic” schools which was freely entered into by BiH’s Ministers of
Education before the Peace Implementation Council in 2002 as part of the
country’s education reform strategy.
EUPM
Head of the European Union Police Mission, Commissioner Kevin Carty yesterday
addressed a letter to RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic expressing his
concerns that the principle of strict separation of politics and policing was
not at all times respected in the Republika Srpska.
In the letter, Commissioner Carty stressed that the line that runs between
the rights of the public to receive information about the work of police and
divulging operational information has been yet again deliberately violated by
the press conference organised by the Ministry on
EUPM believes that the unfortunate series of press conference held by the RS
Ministry of Interior have shown that this line was all too often not respected.
The timing, periodicity and political implications of those press conferences
have been an indication that they have been organised following political,
rather than policing considerations.
The letter also reminded Minister Matijasevic that the strict separation of
politics and operational policing was a key European Commission principle for
police restructuring, a principle which RS Government claimed to have had
endorsed.
EUFOR
No statement.
NATO
No statement.
RTQs:
Tarik Lazović, VIP:
Good afternoon. Tarik Lazović, from the daily newspaper VIP. My
question concerns the possible and eventual punishing of the RS following the
failure of police reform. Today certain media have reported that the
speakers from the RS, scheduled to appear at the manifestation at Rača, have
been taken off the protocol, and that this is the beginning of the punishment
for the RS because of the failure of the police reform. Is this true and
what is your comment on this? This question is for the OHR and the
EUPM.
Well, at this point I think the important thing is to concentrate on the
issue, which is that the RS has to accept the three principles that have been
laid down by the European Commission in connection to this issue. And,
other than that, the issue of a protocol act or actions is not something that we
would comment on.
Zinaida Ilaria, EUPM:
I really do not have anything else to add to what Kevin just said. The
position of the EUPM regarding the issue of the importance of police reform in
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been clear for the last eighteen months, as well as
our position that the police reform must be carried out in accordance with the
European principles. That is all.
Rubina Cengic, Nezavisne novine:
A question for the OHR. According to reports from BHT1 you have
received around one hundred names of people that are now in public service
positions in the RS, who were involved in the war crimes committed in Srebrenica
in July 1995. Will OHR be satisfied with this list or will they insist on
acquiring the entire list containing around eight hundred names? If you do
not receive that list, will there be any consequences? And one question
for the EUPM – are any sanctions possible against Mr. Matijašević if he
continues to act this way?
Well from the OHR’s point of view the issue, again, is very clear and that is
that the Commission must deliver it’s report, and it must deliver a full and
satisfactory report by the end of this month. That has been made clear to
the RS authorities. And beyond that I wouldn’t comment on details such as the
one you’ve raised.
Zinaida Ilaria, EUPM:
In regards to the question concerning minister Matijašević, I am not in a
position to speculate on that matter. However, what you do know is that
the Office of the High Representative – Kevin can comment on this as well – has
sent a letter demanding an answer in writing by the 21st of
September. So, in that regard, apart from what we have already said as a
professional police organization, I have nothing more to add.
FTV:
A question for the OHR. With regards to the terrorist attack that occurred in
the embassy of Great Britain in Zagreb, have the representatives of the
international community in our country increased their security measures?
As you know we never comment on security measures.
