PETRITSCH: WE ARE MAKING REAL PROGRESS IN BOSNIA

BRUSSELS, March 19 (Hina) - In Bosnia-Herzegovina there is genuine progress, despite undesirable but predictable deviations, the international community's High Representative to Bosnia, Wolfgang Petritsch, said in Brussels on Monday. Thanks to our joint strategy and systematic approach, and in spite of undesirable but predictable departures, in Bosnia-Herzegovina we are making real progress and we are on the path towards reaching a permanent resolution, Petritsch said addressing European Union member-countries' foreign ministers who convened in Brussels today. One of 'the departures' is the replacement of Ante Jelavic, from the post of the Croat member in Bosnia's three-man Presidency, the Austrian diplomat explained. The High Representative thanked the EU ministerial council for its support to his decision to dismiss Jelavic, and announced that he would stick to a robust approach and would not allow obstruction. Since the constitution of a moderate government in Sarajevo and welcomed changes in Yugoslavia, the direct threat of war has disappeared. In addition, the set-up of new authorities in Bosnia, willing to cooperate with the international community, has contributed to a favourable change of the climate, he said. To have a stable and self-sustaining Bosnia, it is necessary to launch economic reforms, make it possible for refugees to come back and build state institutions, Petritsch asserted adding that some progress had been made in that field as well. (hina) sb ms