ZAGREB, March 29 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia Josip Vrbosic and Bosnian Prime Minister Adnan Terzic discussed an espionage scandal involving the army of Bosnia's Serb entity in Sarajevo on Saturday, the Croatian foreign
ministry said in a statement.
ZAGREB, March 29 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia Josip
Vrbosic and Bosnian Prime Minister Adnan Terzic discussed an
espionage scandal involving the army of Bosnia's Serb entity in
Sarajevo on Saturday, the Croatian foreign ministry said in a
statement. #L#
The Vrbosic-Terzic meeting took place following allegations in the
Bosnian press to the effect that the Republika Srpska Army (VRS)
actively spied on Croatia and Bosnia's other entity, the Croat-
Muslim federation, and was involved in preparations for the recent
assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
The talks took place immediately upon Terzic's return from
Brussels, where he had taken part in a Peace Implementation Council
(PIC) meeting, the Croatian statement read.
Terzic said the fact that the VRS intelligence had worked against
Croatia was very grave. He stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina's
state authorities had had no part in what he labelled a "flagrant
violation of the Dayton (peace) agreement," which he said had been
committed by opponents of a stable Bosnia, said the statement.
Bosnia's print media say Paddy Ashdown, the international High
Representative in the country, has confirmed the allegations about
a large-scale intelligence strike by the VRS on the Bosnian
federation, Croatia, and the international community in Bosnia.
Ashdown has said findings by NATO's Stabilisation Force point to a
long-standing and deep breach of the Dayton accords, which ended
the war in Bosnia in 1995.
Ashdown will speak about the conclusions the PIC reached in
Brussels by April 2, the Croatian foreign ministry statement said,
adding the Council bound the Briton to take concrete steps
following SFOR's findings about the espionage scandal.
The statement said the scandal pointed to the illegal activity of
forces which had not achieved their wartime goals and which refused
to come to terms with post-Dayton reforms and demands for a more
functional Bosnia and its better ties with neighbours and the
international community.
Croatia is very interested in a stable and law-based Bosnia which
will be able to guarantee the development of democracy and the
resumption of good relations with Croatia, read the statement.
It added Ashdown had to give an energetic answer to the espionage
scandal but that all relevant political structures in Bosnia, too,
had to clearly state their opposition to prevent the affair from
having an adverse effect on stability in Bosnia and its relations
with neighbours.
(hina) ha