ASHDOWN: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL NOT WITHDRAW FROM BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, May 31 (Hina) - The High Representative to Bosnia- Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, said on Friday that the international community would not withdraw from Bosnia, however, it would adjust its activities to the needs of the country to start functioning as a normal state.#L# Ashdown told reporters in Sarajevo that the withdrawal of the international community from Bosnia was out of the question. He said such announcements and discussions were completely pointless. The only thing at issue is whether the international community's role in Bosnia would be to control instability or actively participate in the normalisation of the situation, Ashdown said. As an example Ashdown stated a possibility that various international organisations one day be replaced only by a European Union Mission, while the current Stabilisation Force would be succeeded by a NATO mission. Ashdown said that one cannot expect this to happen overnight. In ten years it will definitely be necessary to replace the current ad hoc institutions such as the Office of the High Representative by a more permanent form of connecting Bosnia and the European Union. The High Representative said that concrete measures for combating corruption and organised crime in Bosnia would be adopted in the next several weeks. He said this would be a priority during his two- year mandate. (hina) it sb