SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, June 20 (Hina) - Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will not manage to sign an agreement on dual citizenship by the end of this year, as it cannot be expected that Croatia changes its legislation on voters' rights in
the said period, Bosnia's minister of civilian affairs and communications, Svetozar Mihajlovic said.
SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, June 20 (Hina) - Croatia and Bosnia-
Herzegovina will not manage to sign an agreement on dual
citizenship by the end of this year, as it cannot be expected that
Croatia changes its legislation on voters' rights in the said
period, Bosnia's minister of civilian affairs and communications,
Svetozar Mihajlovic said. #L#
Mihajlovic was quoted by the Banja Luka-based daily "Nezavisne
Novine" on Thursday as saying that at a recent meeting of the Inter-
State Cooperation Council in Sarajevo, Croatia's representatives
gave assurances that they would raise the question of amendments of
the relevant laws.
This refers to changes of the Croatian Constitution and the
electoral law stipulating the rights of the Croatian Diaspora to
take part in elections in Croatia.
"There is a small possibility of signing the agreement by the end of
this year, owing to procedure for the change of the legislation,"
Mihajlovic said.
He added that Sarajevo also was not ready to accept the possibility
of a voter's right to go to the polls in both countries.
The Bosnian official explained that Sarajevo and Zagreb would
search for "a solution acceptable to both sides" even in a case if
Croatia did not alter its electoral legislation.
"We must respect our laws, but we cannot ask other countries to
change their laws," Mihajlovic said.
It is now certain that a deadline for the conclusion of the
agreement, which expires on 31 December, will be extended for at
least two years.
The Bosnian Council of Ministers has decided to prolong the time
term so that hundreds of thousands Bosnian citizens, who were
granted citizenship of other countries in the past ten years, could
still be treated as Bosnian citizens as well.
The first agreement on dual citizenship to be signed by Sarajevo
will be concluded with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija and his Yugoslav
counterpart Goran Svilanovic confirmed on Wednesday that the deal
would be struck up by this autumn.
Bosnia has started negotiations on this matter with other countries
in which a large number of Bosnians have arrived since the war.
The negotiations are being led with Slovenia, Austria, Sweden,
Germany and Great Britain.
(hina) ms