PETRITSCH REMAINS IN BOSNIA FOR ANOTHER YEAR, HIS SUCCESSOR IS ASHDOWN

SARAJEVO, June 21 (Hina) - Wolfgang Petritsch will remain at the post of the international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina for another year, according to a decision of the managing committee of the council in charge of supervising the implementation of the Dayton peace accords. The committee, which held a session in Stockholm on Thursday, said it noted that all foreign ministers of member-countries of the European Union supported the candidacy of Paddy Ashdown as Petritsch's successor. Lord Ashdown, a former leader of the British Liberals, will replace the Austrian diplomat in summer 2002. According a statement which the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Sarajevo released, political directors of foreign ministries of the member-states of the managing committee confirmed Petritsch as the High Representative for another year, and expressed full support to his activities in Bosnia with the aim of stabilising a peace process in that country. The committee was acquainted with Petritsch's proposal about the re-organisation of the current manner of activities of numerous international organisations engaged in the implementation of the Dayton deal. According to the Sarajevo media, the incumbent High Representative advocates the uniting of missions of the OSCE, UN and OHR into one structure so that they can achieve better co-ordination and more effective implementation of the peace process as well as of political and economic reforms in Bosnia. During the Stockholm session it was decided that the first step in this re-organisation, which should be carried out in a gradual and transparent way, would be done with civilian agencies in Bosnia. It was confirmed that the OHR remained a key institution for the implementation of the Dayton peace accords. (hina) ms