OHR

Crucial Debate in Parliament Today 

Today is a crucial day for

Bosnia and Herzegovina

.  This
country’s elected representative are, for the first time, discussing
changes to the Dayton Constitution – a document which, when it was
drafted and agreed, represented the only compromise possible to end four years
of bloody war. 

The very fact that BiH’s elected representatives are able to discuss changes
to that document is a sign of progress. It is hard to imagine such a debate
taking place several years ago.

After months of negotiations, the Bosnian political leaders reached an
agreement on a package of measures that reform the constitution. It is now up to
the BiH House of Representatives to take the necessary decisions on this
package  today.

The proposed changes are an important step towards strengthening the State
structures. They will help equip BiH better for EU integration which
requires quick and effective adoption and implementation of a large number of
laws. BiH also needs more effective and efficient government in order to
increase the peace of the reforms.

Reflecting the importance of this debate the Principal Deputy High
Representative, Larry Butler, will be in Parliament today – as an observer,
not a participant. The International Community has given its support to
this process but ultimately it is the people of BiH through their elected
representatives that must decide. This increasingly reflects the
new ownership relationship between the domestic authorities
and the International Community.

The EU Special Representative and High Representative Christian
Schwarz-Schilling will also highlight the importance of this reform when he
addresses the EU’s Political and Security Committee and the European
Parliament’s foreign affairs committee today. The High Representative is
optimistic that there will be progress today.

EUFOR

No statement.

RTQs

Journalist:

Comment on EUFOR operation in Cajnice?

EUFOR:

I can tell you that there was an operation last night. It has not been
completed. It was completed this morning about six o’clock this morning. It was done in Cajnice.

Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters

Question not recorded.

EUFOR:

Well, the mandate for EUFOR is – well, a part of that is always to help and
cooperate with the ICTY in search of PIFWICs. So that is always one of the
mandates that we are looking at when we are doing any sort of operation.

Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters

Can you tell us if there was a case this time and how successful you
were?

EUFOR:

I cannot tell you any of the details about the operation, I’m afraid.

Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters

I have another question if you do not mind. Last week there was another
report, pretty unsubstantiated, alleging that the Al-Qaida is using the Balkans
as a springboard for
Western Europe. It goes on to repeat
many earlier claims, which NATO denied, that Al-Qaida is present in

Bosnia
and is
using
Bosnia
as
a terrorist training base and so on. Do you still stand by your earlier claims
that there is no evidence of Al-Qaida presence in

Bosnia
? Has
something changed here in the meantime?

EUFOR:

Yes. Nothing has changed. There are always these rumours that come out on a
regular basis. We have had no indication that the Balkans are in any way more of
a threat then any other country in

Europe or the rest of
the world. We are here to help the Balkans set up a safe and secure environment
and that is part of fighting organised crime, fighting all the internal problems
that any state has, not just for the Balkans. But we have had no evidence that
it is a greater place or a worse place then any other state for a springboard
for international crime.

Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters

Just for the record, do you have any evidence of Al-Qaida presence and
activities or Al-Qaida related activities in the Balkans and in

Bosnia
in
particular?

EUFOR:

I obviously cannot comment on particular intelligence that we have, for
obvious reasons. But, I can say that nothing has changed as far as we are aware
with regards to the reports that have recently come out in the press.