BOSNIA WON'T GIVE UP LAWSUIT AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

SARAJEVO, May 22 (Hina)- Bosnia's lawsuit against Yugoslavia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague will not be brought into question by attempts to prevent its financing with funds from the Bosnian state budget, the vice president of the Bosnian parliament's House of Representatives, Sead Avdic, said on Wednesday. #L# The aggression and genocide lawsuit was filed in 1993 by then Bosnian authorities. Since the signing of the Dayton peace agreement in late 1995, Bosnian Serb ruling structures have done everything to obstruct and ensure the dropping of the lawsuit. Republika Srpska President Marko Sarovic has said the lawsuit might be a Bosnian Federation issue, certainly not one concerning Bosnian Serbs. The Bosnian parliament's House of Representatives earlier this month rejected a draft state budget envisaging the financing of the lawsuit before the ICJ. The Bosnian Presidency this week decided to finance the lawsuit, which requires 430,000 convertible marks, from current reserves. Presidency chairman Beriz Belkic has said that approving funds from state bodies' current reserves means that decisions on the matter are made by the Council of Ministers. "I'm afraid this could complicate the whole procedure," Belkic says, recalling that the Council of Ministers passes decisions by consensus. It is logical to assume that the Serb ministers will always vote against, he maintains. "If necessary, funds will be raised through donations or non- governmental organisations, but the proceedings against Yugoslavia will resume as an impartial court must give the final answer as to whether Bosnia and Herzegovina was subjected to aggression or if there was a civil war," says Avdic. He maintains facing the truth about the recent past is in the best interest of Bosnian Serbs as well. Manipulation and suppression of facts cannot lead to a better future, Avdic says. (hina) ha sb