P. ASHDOWN CONFIRMED AS CANDIDATE FOR NEW HIGH REP. FOR BOSNIA

SARAJEVO/BRUSSELS, March 1 (Hina) - The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) for Bosnia and Herzegovina officially confirmed the candidacy of Lord Paddy Ashdown for the new international community's High Representative in Bosnia at a conference in Brussels on Thursday. Lord Ashdown should succeed Wolfgang Petritsch, who leaves the office in late May after two and a half years. The new High Representative is formally appointed by the UN Security Council. At the Brussels conference, the PIC, which is made up of representatives of the most influential western countries and Russia, supported the European Union's idea of making the new High Representative the Union's special envoy for Bosnia as well. The PIC also supported a previous proposal concerning a new organisation of the international community in Bosnia. The High Representative would continue to coordinate the international community's activity, and his office would include four departments - for legislation, the building of Bosnian institutions, economy, and reconstruction and refugee returns. Representatives of local authorities would participate in the work of these departments. The reorganisation is aimed at stepping up the effectiveness of the international community, as well as at paving the way for reducing its presence by 30 percent by the end of 2003. Considering the current situation in Bosnia, the PIC called on political leaders to wrap up by mid-May negotiations on constitutional changes and find a solution acceptable to all. Failure to reach such an agreement will result in negative consequences with direct bearing on Bosnia's bids to integrate into European structures. (hina) ha