SARAJEVO, May 26 (Hina) - The new High Representative for Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown, should present to parliament a ten-item plan whose implementation should ensure the establishment of the rule-of-law, a faster economic recovery and new
jobs, Ashdown's spokesman Julian Braithwaite said in Sarajevo on Sunday.
SARAJEVO, May 26 (Hina) - The new High Representative for Bosnia,
Paddy Ashdown, should present to parliament a ten-item plan whose
implementation should ensure the establishment of the rule-of-law,
a faster economic recovery and new jobs, Ashdown's spokesman Julian
Braithwaite said in Sarajevo on Sunday. #L#
Presenting Lord Ashdown's plans, Braithwaite told reporters the
strengthening of the rule-of-law and new jobs were the new High
Representative's basic priorities.
He recalled that Ashdown long ago evaluated that widespread
corruption and crime represented a far greater danger for Bosnia
that the possible renewal of nationalist conflicts.
Ashdown maintains that the fact that 250,000 young, talented
Bosnians live abroad and do not intend to return is a much bigger
problem than any political misunderstanding.
Ashdown arrives in Sarajevo on Monday. He will meet the chief
commander of NATO's Stabilisation Force, Gen. John Sylvester. The
official take-over of duties between him and outgoing High
Representatives Wolfgang Petritsch will also take place tomorrow.
Commenting on the fact that Petritsch passed 42 important decisions
just three days before leaving Bosnia, Braithwaite said that
everything that happened in the past few months was carried out in
agreement between Petritsch and Ashdown.
Said decisions constitute a good starting point for Ashdown's work,
he said.
Braithwaite pointed out that Bosnia had yet to undergo a whole
series of reforms if it wanted to become part of Europe.
Ashdown will act as a person open to communication with the common
people, he said, adding that their problems would be more important
than the obsessions of local politicians.
Lord Ashdown is the fourth international community High
Representative for Bosnia. He has been appointed to a two-year
mandate.
During the Bosnian war Ashdown actively advocated the intervention
of the international community to prevent conflicts and
destruction.
He visited Sarajevo several times during its siege under Bosnian
Serbs.
(hina) ha