UN MISSION IN BOSNIA TO BE DECIDED AT STATE LEVEL

NEW YORK, July 2 (Hina) - Attempts to come to an agreement of how to reconcile US demands to exclude its members of the UN Mission from the jurisdiction of the permanent International Crimes Court (ICC) and the need to extend the UN mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMBIH) have been raised to the highest government level of country members of the Security Council, British Ambassador to the UN and the current chair of the UN Security Council, Geremy Greenstock said in New York on Tuesday. #L# He mentioned that he was speaking about this topic on his own behalf and not with the authority of the Council. I do not wish to raise unfounded hope that by midnight Wednesday a solution will be found but I believe that statements made are sincere and no one wishes to threaten the results of the Dayton Peace Accord, the British ambassador said. The Council is faced with several possibilities of which the most unlikely is that the USA or any other member will change its attitude. The most likely solution will be that the Council will decide on the cessation of the UNMBIH in that it determines a certain period to cater for this process or for a resolution to be passed to transfer authority in B-H to the European Union mission when it is ready to take over. Greenstock mentioned that in July the Security Council expected decision on mandates for another four missions - Prevlaka (July 15), Lebanon, Georgia and Western Sahara (by the end of the month). There is no point that the authority of the ICC is brought into question for each of these cases, Greenstock said. (hina) sp sb