SARAJEVO, Feb 12 (Hina) - Pressured by NATO deadlines, representatives of the ruling national parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina have reached an agreement on the division of leading positions in the country's military and security
system.
SARAJEVO, Feb 12 (Hina) - Pressured by NATO deadlines, representatives
of the ruling national parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina have reached an
agreement on the division of leading positions in the country's
military and security system.#L#
Members of the Bosnian Presidency visited Banja Luka on Wednesday.
After talks with representatives of the Republika Srpska government,
member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina leadership Sulejman Tihic told
reporters that the issue which the appointment of the first state
defence minister depended on, had been solved.
Tihic said that the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) and the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action
(SDA) agreed to appoint a Serb national the first defence minister.
The first Bosnian Armed Forces chief of staff would be a Muslim
general, while the commander of the Bosnian Armed Forces Operation
Command would be a Croat.
A Muslim would also be appointed head of the new state intelligence
and security service (OSA), while a Croat would be appointed head of
the Agency for Information and Protection (Bosnia's FBI).
NATO officials have previously demanded of the Bosnia-Herzegovina
authorities to appoint a defence minister by February 15 at the latest
if they want the country's application for the Partnership for Peace
programme to be discussed at a NATO summit in Istanbul in June.
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