BRAJKOVIC: FOREIGN PARTNERS, CROATIA THWARTED ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER MOSTAR ALUMINIUM COMPANY

MOSTAR, Dec 27 (Hina) - Prominent foreign partners and the secret diplomatic services of Croatia, which holds a 12% share in Mostar's aluminium company "Aluminij" have thwarted an attempt by the current authorities of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, led by the Alliance for Changes, to take over the company, the company's director-general Mijo Brajkovic said at a press conference on Thursday. In the mid-2001, the Federation government contested ownership over the company previously established before a court and appointed a new management board, refusing an audit report by the Office of the High Representative and announcing that it would freeze the company's account. Brajkovic said that the company's partner, Daimler-Chrysler, had drawn the attention of Bosnian officials to the company's problems during their visits to Western countries. Brajkovic believes that the reputation of Bosnia-Herzegovina has been compromised by backroom deals in the economy. High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch, too, claimed on several occasions that the Mostar company was operating in line with the law. Brajkovic also said that Croatia's secret diplomatic services had interceded as well, but remarked that the intervention should have been more open since Croatia had invested DM18 million and held a 12% share in the company. A total of 250 workers from Croatia currently work on the modernisation of the company's plants. This year the company had a record production of 95,600 tonnes of aluminium, and its exports exceeded DM300 million. (hina) rml