SARAJEVO, Sept 27 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina is ready to establish diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia if the electoral victory of democratic political forces in the country is confirmed, read a statement
issued by the BH Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The statement, signed by Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic, said that information coming from Belgrade, although still incomplete and unofficial, showed that the majority of voters in Yugoslavia had decided to support democratic changes. "The victory of democratic forces opens new possibilities for the resolution of many questions in relations between the two countries," said the statement. Prlic said his county was willing to "unconditionally establish diplomatic relations with the FR of Yugoslavia, which would contribute not only to the normalisation of relations between the two countries but also to the strengthening
SARAJEVO, Sept 27 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina is ready to establish
diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia if the
electoral victory of democratic political forces in the country is
confirmed, read a statement issued by the BH Foreign Ministry on
Tuesday.
The statement, signed by Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic, said that
information coming from Belgrade, although still incomplete and
unofficial, showed that the majority of voters in Yugoslavia had
decided to support democratic changes.
"The victory of democratic forces opens new possibilities for the
resolution of many questions in relations between the two
countries," said the statement.
Prlic said his county was willing to "unconditionally establish
diplomatic relations with the FR of Yugoslavia, which would
contribute not only to the normalisation of relations between the
two countries but also to the strengthening of peace and stability
in the entire region."
Five years after the end of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the two
countries still so not have diplomatic relations although they
obliged to establish them upon signing the Dayton peace agreement.
The Belgrade authorities said they would establish diplomatic
relations if Bosnia-Herzegovina withdrew the aggression suit it
filed against Yugoslavia with the International Court of Justice in
The Hague.
Prlic's statement is the first official reaction in Bosnia-
Herzegovina to the announcement of preliminary results of the
Yugoslav election.
Two days after the closing of polling stations in Yugoslavia, the
Office of the High Representative (OHR) still has reservations
about the situation in Yugoslavia although the ballot was
accompanied with open expectations of political changes.
The situation in Serbia is still very fluid, OHR spokesman Chris
Bird told reporters in Sarajevo yesterday.
OHR's current stand is that voters in Serbia have demonstrated
readiness for changes but the final assessment of the current
situation will have to wait until the final election results are
available, Bird said.
The Bosnia-Herzegovina media, in Sarajevo and Banja Luka alike,
report that Vojislav Kostunica's victory cannot be jeopardised
except in case of a major fraud in the vote count.
The Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), which is headed
by Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik, on Monday openly greeted
Kostunica as the election winner. The party expressed hope
Kostunica's victory would contribute to the improvement of
relations between Bosnian and Yugoslav Serbs.
During the Serbian election campaign, Dodik openly advocated
Milosevic's departure and a day before the election day he sent
Milosevic an open letter saying it was high time for him to leave the
political scene.
(hina) rml