SARAJEVO SARAJEVO, Feb 5 (Hina) - The Bosnian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday requested an official explanation of a statement the head of the local UN Mission, Jacques Klein, made to the effect that Bosnia and Herzegovina in history had
never been a state. In a recent interview with the Croatian Television show Orient Express, Klein said some of Bosnia's current difficulties were due to the fact that in history it had never been a state, and that the last time something on its territory resembled a state had been at the time of the medieval Croatian kingdom. A Bosnian Foreign Ministry statement delivered to Hina in Sarajevo says the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lagumdzija, has instructed the Bosnian Ambassador to the UN, Mirza Kusljugic, to convey official Sarajevo's concern with the Klein statement to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Foreign Ministry maintains Klein "is negating the continuity of Bosnia and
SARAJEVO, Feb 5 (Hina) - The Bosnian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday
requested an official explanation of a statement the head of the
local UN Mission, Jacques Klein, made to the effect that Bosnia and
Herzegovina in history had never been a state.
In a recent interview with the Croatian Television show Orient
Express, Klein said some of Bosnia's current difficulties were due
to the fact that in history it had never been a state, and that the
last time something on its territory resembled a state had been at
the time of the medieval Croatian kingdom.
A Bosnian Foreign Ministry statement delivered to Hina in Sarajevo
says the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lagumdzija,
has instructed the Bosnian Ambassador to the UN, Mirza Kusljugic,
to convey official Sarajevo's concern with the Klein statement to
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The Foreign Ministry maintains Klein "is negating the continuity of
Bosnia and Herzegovina's statehood and thus tarnishing its
reputation."
The Sarajevo media have given a lot of attention to Ambassador
Klein's statements, mentioning his claims on an offer Alija
Izetbegovic allegedly made to former Croatian President Franjo
Tudjman to "take over Herzegovina."
In a vehement reaction, the Party for BH accused Klein of promoting
"the favourite theses of the dividers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
(Slobodan) Milosevic and Tudjman." The party deems such statements
are odd to come at a time when Klein's country, the United States, is
strongly defending the values of multiethnicity on which Bosnia has
rested for centuries.
Klein reiterated his claims today while visiting the southern town
of Mostar.
He told reporters the late Tudjman had told him Izetbegovic had
offered him Herzegovina but that Tudjman refused as, Klein said, he
wanted a bigger share of Bosnian territory.
With this statement Klein is continuing to go public with his
conversations with Tudjman and Izetbegovic. He said on Croatian
Television two days ago Izetbegovic had confirmed to him he had
offered Tudjman Herzegovina.
Klein quoted Izetbegovic as saying, "By transferring that problem
(Herzegovina) we would deal with other difficulties more easily."
(hina) ha