High Representative and EU Special Representative (HR/EUSR) Christian Schwarz-Schilling met today at Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) headquarters in Sarajevo with Director-General Almir Dzuvo, Deputy Director Risto Zaric and Inspector General Ivan Cosic.

Director-General Dzuvo reported to the HR/EUSR on the progress made in recent months in consolidating intelligence reform in BiH, including the completion of all the transitional measures envisaged by the Law on OSA.  He also expressed his gratitude for the institutional support provided by both OHR and the OSCE Mission.  As provided by the law, OSA had already established working relationships with many foreign intelligence services. This cooperation had yielded important information on current priorities in the fields of counter-terrorism, organized crime and war crimes.  Director-General Dzuvo underlined that OSA was working consistently to improve its efficiency and close liaison with the domestic authorities and law enforcement agencies.

The HR/EUSR welcomed the manner in which intelligence reform had proceeded to date and commended OSA’s leadership for its proactive management, attentiveness to new security threats and ability to balance the various demands arising in this sensitive field.  He underscored as well the necessity of intensifying efforts to locate and arrest war crimes’ indictees and the importance of maintaining a regional and, indeed, global approach to intelligence sharing.

The Director-General also briefed Schwarz-Schilling on the progress that has been made in digitizing and storing documentation on war crimes, thanks to funding provided by the Norwegian government.  The HR/EUSR expressed his satisfaction with what he had seen and heard regarding this major project, the aim of which is to ensure a satisfactory exchange of information between OSA and its partners – ICTY, domestic police agencies and prosecutorial authorities.