SARAJEVO, Dec 21 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on Thursday warned the international community was losing patience as well as interest in events in Bosnia-Herzegovina and called for the consolidation of the situation
in the country, in particular through the reorganisation of military structures. The frustration and impatience of the international community are growing and it is high time for the elected officials as well as common people in Bosnia-Herzegovina to take over responsibility for the situation in their country, Robertson said at a news conference in Sarajevo held at the end of his two-day visit to the country. Earlier in the day Robertson met the members of the three-man state presidency and yesterday held talks with the Stabilisation Force chief commander, General Michael Dodson, and other prominent international officials in the country. Illustrating the unsustainability of the sit
SARAJEVO, Dec 21 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson
on Thursday warned the international community was losing patience
as well as interest in events in Bosnia-Herzegovina and called for
the consolidation of the situation in the country, in particular
through the reorganisation of military structures.
The frustration and impatience of the international community are
growing and it is high time for the elected officials as well as
common people in Bosnia-Herzegovina to take over responsibility
for the situation in their country, Robertson said at a news
conference in Sarajevo held at the end of his two-day visit to the
country.
Earlier in the day Robertson met the members of the three-man state
presidency and yesterday held talks with the Stabilisation Force
chief commander, General Michael Dodson, and other prominent
international officials in the country.
Illustrating the unsustainability of the situation in the country,
Robertson mentioned the country's existing military structure.
Three armies, two entities and one state, without money. That is
something that is simply unsustainable, the NATO official said,
adding grotesque money-squandering was at work.
The entities' armed forces must first be put under joint command and
the country must have a single defence policy and doctrine, which
will create preliminary conditions for its joining Partnership for
Peace, he said.
A place in Partnership for Peace is not reserved only for Bosnia-
Herzegovina but for Yugoslavia as well, once it demonstrates
interest in joining it, he said.
Robertson reiterated NATO's full support for the operation of the
Hague-based war crimes tribunal, promising that the apprehension
of war crimes suspects would continue and that all war crimes
suspects would be brought to justice.
(hina) rml