The British diplomat stressed the role which this successful company could play in confidence restoration among citizens in Mostar.
Cliff thus alluded to the necessity of increasing the number of local Bosniaks and Serbs among the workers in the plant.
Since the aluminium plant was reconstructed at the end of the war in which the Croatian government participated to a great extent, most employees have been local Croats.
Some Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) politicians as well as a few international officials engaged in the country have voiced disapproval with the current ethnic structure of the plant employees. They claim that before the war there was a balance among all ethnic groups regarding the employment .
Mayor Jahic said that the current situation could be improved with the re-employment of some 200 Bosniaks and Serbs, and this would lead to the economic reintegration of Mostar.
Deputy Mayor Beslic said that it would be possible to re-employ a certain number of workers of the Serb and Bosniak descent, but warned that the employment could not be carried out in line with principles which were honoured in Socialism, as the market economy had other rules,
Last week, an up-to-date technological system, worth 20 million dollars, for the production of aluminium ingots was put in operation in the Mostar plant. The system was delivered from the world-known Wagstaff company from the United States. On that occasion, the company's Vice Chairman Craig Johnson said that this would promote the Mostar plant into one of the world's a leading foundry.