SARAJEVO, Nov 5 (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) command did not know about the plans of the Bosnian Serb entity to sell arms to Myanmar (former Burma) as
claimed by Republika Srpska Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic.
SARAJEVO, Nov 5 (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative (OHR)
in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) command
did not know about the plans of the Bosnian Serb entity to sell arms
to Myanmar (former Burma) as claimed by Republika Srpska Prime
Minister Mladen Ivanic. #L#
Ivanic said on Monday that Slobodan Bilic, a recently dismissed
entity defence minister, and the Serb army chief-of-staff, Novica
Simic, ten days ago travelled to Myanmar with the consent of SFOR to
discuss the sale of weapons which were to be destroyed following the
reduction of the armed forces in Bosnia.
OHR spokesman Julian Braithwaite told reporters in Sarajevo on
Tuesday it was surprising that the senior Bosnian Serb officials
had travelled to Myanmar with the intention to discuss arms trade,
adding that Paddy Ashdown and his associates had never been
informed about it.
Braithwaite said it was particularly surprising that the
authorities in Banja Luka had not known about the ban on arms trade
with Myanmar. If they talked about arms trade and did not know about
the embargo, that is the best indicator of inadequate control over
Bosnia's military industry, he said.
SFOR spokesman Yves Vanier said that SFOR's mandate was restricted
to following arms trade and transport within the country.
SFOR is not controlling officials' visits to foreign countries,
Vanier said, dismissing Ivanic's claims as false.
(hina) rml