Trilateral meeting in Bosnian resort ends

Leaders of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina agreed today to focus on resolving open issues and realize joint initiatives together with their governments. Serbian President Boris Tadic, his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic and members of the Bosnian Presidency Zeljko Komsic, Nebojsa Radmanovic and Bakir Izetbegovic said they agreed to fight against organized crime should be in the focus of attention and that they would apply for EU funds in resolving economic problems. Trilateral meeting in Bosnian resort ends They held a a joint news conference following the meeting which lasted over four hours on Mt. Jahorina near Sarajevo on Friday. Komsic, the Croat member who currently chairs thee Bosnia Presidency, specified that it was important for all three countries to participate together in the organization of winter sports competitions and constitution of the regional handball league. Komsic also said it was important to invest efforts with a view to exploiting EU funds for the macro-region. As regards joint presentation in consular offices, he said that it would be a good idea but that it is up to the three countries' governments to examine the possibilities for its realization. The talks also covered the changes in the regime of border crossing categorization which should be made when Croatia becomes a member of the EU, Komsic said. We will call on the governments to become more actively involved in resolving property and border issues, Komsic noted. Participants in the meeting welcomed the constitution of the Bosnia Council of Ministers, the results of the referendum in Croatia and the announced EU candidate status for Serbia. Bosniak member of the Bosnia Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic said that the meeting was marked by a positive atmosphere. Together with our governments, we aim to start resolving open issues such as borders and property in 2012 which have been burdening the three countries' relations for years now, Izetbegovic stated. He said that there is room for good cooperation in the region. According to Serb member of the Bosnia Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic, participants in the trilateral meeting are entering a new stage of operation after the Brijuni meeting. We expect Croatia to serve as our ambassador once it accesses the EU, but this will not be an easy task, Radmanovic stated. He noted that the EU does not attach too much thought to enlargement in terms of the Western Balkans. The initiative put forth by the Croatian president as regards facilitating the prosecution of war crimes suspects by signing an inter-state agreement was discussed in the informal part of the meeting. Boris Tadic president backed the initiative, but the Zeljko Komsic stated that Bosnia did not support the initiative of Croatian President Ivo Josipovic that war crime indictees should be tried in their place of residence. Komsic told the journalists that Sarajevo rejected the initiative since the three members of the Bosnia Presidency have not reached an agreement on the issue, adding, however, that there a modality is being considered which is currently at the level of a draft proposal. "The idea is that political authority should be given from our part to the Bosnia Prosecutor's Office, enabling it to consign a certain case to another state, in accordance with the evaluation of prosecutors or the collegium of prosecutors, if it is assessed that the trial would thus be more efficient and access to evidence better," Komsic underlined. It is only natural that we insist that perpetrators should be tried in the country where the crime was committed, Komsic said, adding that Serbia and Croatia opened a possibility of signing a bilateral agreement, and that Bosnia will work on finding a way for Bosnia to join the cooperation. Such a proposal, however, must go through the Bosnia bodies and be voted on by the Council of Ministers and the justice minister, Komsic said. When asked to comment the fact that Bosnia refused to ratify the agreement on cooperation between the two countries' prosecutor's offices, soon after which the Dobrovoljacka Street case was suspended, (murder of over 40 Yugoslav People's Army soldiers while withdrawing from Sarajevo), he said that the agreement did not go through the necessary procedures. The ratification was not suspended, because it had not been started in the first place, that is the agreement was not passed, Komsic underlined. President Boris Tadic backed Josipovic's initiative, saying that Serbia supports and encourages the positive steps which Croatia is taking in the area of legal prosecution of war crimes suspects, and recalled that illuminating the fate of missing persons is one of the priority issues that have roots in the two countries' recent history. Participants in the trilateral meeting (Tanjug) B92 Tanjug

Trilateral meeting in Bosnian resort ends

They held a a joint news conference following the meeting which lasted over four hours on Mt. Jahorina near Sarajevo on Friday.

Komšić, the Croat member who currently chairs thee Bosnia Presidency, specified that it was important for all three countries to participate together in the organization of winter sports competitions and constitution of the regional handball league.

Komšić also said it was important to invest efforts with a view to exploiting EU funds for the macro-region. As regards joint presentation in consular offices, he said that it would be a good idea but that it is up to the three countries' governments to examine the possibilities for its realization.

The talks also covered the changes in the regime of border crossing categorization which should be made when Croatia becomes a member of the EU, Komšić said.

We will call on the governments to become more actively involved in resolving property and border issues, Komšić noted.

Participants in the meeting welcomed the constitution of the Bosnia Council of Ministers, the results of the referendum in Croatia and the announced EU candidate status for Serbia.

Bosniak member of the Bosnia Presidency Bakir Izetbegović said that the meeting was marked by a positive atmosphere.

Together with our governments, we aim to start resolving open issues such as borders and property in 2012 which have been burdening the three countries' relations for years now, Izetbegović stated.

He said that there is room for good cooperation in the region.

According to Serb member of the Bosnia Presidency Nebojša Radmanović, participants in the trilateral meeting are entering a new stage of operation after the Brijuni meeting.

We expect Croatia to serve as our ambassador once it accesses the EU, but this will not be an easy task, Radmanović stated.

He noted that the EU does not attach too much thought to enlargement in terms of the Western Balkans.

The initiative put forth by the Croatian president as regards facilitating the prosecution of war crimes suspects by signing an inter-state agreement was discussed in the informal part of the meeting.

Boris Tadić president backed the initiative, but the Željko Komšić stated that Bosnia did not support the initiative of Croatian President Ivo Josipović that war crime indictees should be tried in their place of residence.

Komšić told the journalists that Sarajevo rejected the initiative since the three members of the Bosnia Presidency have not reached an agreement on the issue, adding, however, that there a modality is being considered which is currently at the level of a draft proposal.

"The idea is that political authority should be given from our part to the Bosnia Prosecutor's Office, enabling it to consign a certain case to another state, in accordance with the evaluation of prosecutors or the collegium of prosecutors, if it is assessed that the trial would thus be more efficient and access to evidence better," Komšić underlined.

It is only natural that we insist that perpetrators should be tried in the country where the crime was committed, Komšić said, adding that Serbia and Croatia opened a possibility of signing a bilateral agreement, and that Bosnia will work on finding a way for Bosnia to join the cooperation.

Such a proposal, however, must go through the Bosnia bodies and be voted on by the Council of Ministers and the justice minister, Komšić said.

When asked to comment the fact that Bosnia refused to ratify the agreement on cooperation between the two countries' prosecutor's offices, soon after which the Dobrovoljačka Street case was suspended, (murder of over 40 Yugoslav People's Army soldiers while withdrawing from Sarajevo), he said that the agreement did not go through the necessary procedures.

The ratification was not suspended, because it had not been started in the first place, that is the agreement was not passed, Komšić underlined.

President Boris Tadić backed Josipović's initiative, saying that Serbia supports and encourages the positive steps which Croatia is taking in the area of legal prosecution of war crimes suspects, and recalled that illuminating the fate of missing persons is one of the priority issues that have roots in the two countries' recent history.