HIGH REPRESENTATIVE ADVOCATES BOSNIA'S INTEGRATION INTO EU

SARAJEVO, Nov 20 (Hina) - There is no evidence that Bosnia- Herzegovina has so far been one of the bases for the "Al-Quaida" terrorist organisation, although the possibility cannot be excluded, High representative to Bosnia, Wolfgang Petritsch, said in an article run on Tuesday by The New York Times. In a commentary focusing on challenges in the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement and the overall situation in Bosnia after September's terrorist attacks on the United States, Petritsch described the attempts of Serb extremists to defend their conduct today with an alleged fight to remove Islamic fundamentalism as ridiculous. Had perhaps Milosevic waged war against the mulas when his troops rocketed Dubrovnik? Petritsch asked, concluding that the influence of Islamic fundamentalists on the Balkans had apparently been very weak. While Europe is seeking ways to respond to new directions of global terrorism, it must at the same time offer a hand to Moslems in Europe, which means reopening the European Union and receiving those countries in which a large number of Moslems live, such as Turkey, Petritsch stressed. This is a wider context in which a small country such as Bosnia- Herzegovina must prove that peaceful coexistence of Islam and Christianity is possible, and in this it needs Europe's support more than ever," the high representative said in the commentary, adding that Bosnia's integration into the European Union was the only logical long-term solution for the country. (hina) lml sb