SARAJEVO, Jan 19 (Hina) - Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will improve relations in the coming period, Bosnian Presidency chairman Zivko Radisic and Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica said in Sarajevo
on Friday. The two countries will soon set up a joint cooperation council, like the one Bosnia has with Croatia, the two officials told reporters after Kostunica's meeting with Bosnia's senior officials. Charges d'affaires will be appointed to Belgrade and Sarajevo by the end of the month, and embassies will be opened very soon. It is expected a whole series of agreements regulating the two countries' overall relations will be signed, from trade and customs relations to the establishment of rail and air transport, and the establishment of special relations between Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb entity. Bosnia and Yugoslavia have also decided to initiate a
SARAJEVO, Jan 19 (Hina) - Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia will improve relations in the coming period,
Bosnian Presidency chairman Zivko Radisic and Yugoslav President
Vojislav Kostunica said in Sarajevo on Friday.
The two countries will soon set up a joint cooperation council, like
the one Bosnia has with Croatia, the two officials told reporters
after Kostunica's meeting with Bosnia's senior officials. Charges
d'affaires will be appointed to Belgrade and Sarajevo by the end of
the month, and embassies will be opened very soon.
It is expected a whole series of agreements regulating the two
countries' overall relations will be signed, from trade and customs
relations to the establishment of rail and air transport, and the
establishment of special relations between Yugoslavia and
Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb entity.
Bosnia and Yugoslavia have also decided to initiate a trilateral
summit, which would include Croatia, in view of finding a solution
for all key issues in the region, especially refugee returns.
Kostunica told reporters the perhaps most significant foreign
policy achievement in the first 100 days of Belgrade's new
authorities was the beginning of normalisation of relations with
Bosnia and the establishment of diplomatic ties with it.
He reiterated his strong support to the Dayton peace agreement,
voicing opposition to any change of borders in the region. "Any
change of borders could directly lead to new conflicts and
divisions."
A formal apology expected by part of the Bosnian public from the
Yugoslav president for crimes committed during last decade's war
was not extended on this occasion.
Kostunica only said he supported forming a special commission which
would be in charge of establishing the truth about the war in the
territories of the former Yugoslav federation, pointing out there
had been victims and crimes on both sides.
Responding to a question from the press, Kostunica said his
objection to the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic to the
international criminal tribunal in The Hague did not protect the
former president but Yugoslavia's Constitution.
Kostunica confirmed he would meet tribunal chief prosecutor Carla
del Ponte in Belgrade next week, primarily in connection with the
depleted uranium scandal and "new evidence on manipulation with the
massacre in the village of Racak, which led to the bombing of
Yugoslavia."
Today, the Yugoslav president held closed-door talks with Wolfgang
Petrisch, the international community's high representative in
Bosnia, and later with representatives of religious communities in
Bosnia.
(hina) ha sb