SARAJEVO, April 20 (Hina) - The state Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday adopted a decision cancelling a trade agreement signed in 1996 by the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, High Representative in Sarajevo
Carlos Westendorp said today. In a statement to the press, Westendorp said the decision, which had allowed the import of Croatian goods into the Federation without customs tariffs, ceased to be valid immediately. This means that the implementation of a single law on customs and customs tariffs will start on the whole territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The country's Serb entity of Republika Srpska in February this year agreed to cancel a similar agreement it had signed with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The High Representative, who called today's meeting of the Presidency, confirmed that the Croat side had certain objections to the decisio
SARAJEVO, April 20 (Hina) - The state Presidency of Bosnia-
Herzegovina on Tuesday adopted a decision cancelling a trade
agreement signed in 1996 by the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Croatia, High Representative in Sarajevo Carlos Westendorp
said today.
In a statement to the press, Westendorp said the decision, which had
allowed the import of Croatian goods into the Federation without
customs tariffs, ceased to be valid immediately. This means that
the implementation of a single law on customs and customs tariffs
will start on the whole territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The country's Serb entity of Republika Srpska in February this year
agreed to cancel a similar agreement it had signed with the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
The High Representative, who called today's meeting of the
Presidency, confirmed that the Croat side had certain objections to
the decision and had initiated a procedure for establishing whether
it was in line with the country's constitution. Westendorp added
though that this would not postpone the beginning of implementation
of the customs law, adopted at the state level.
Today's session of the state presidency was the first one to be held
after a period of a month and a half, during which its members held
no meetings at all due to the boycott of its work by its president
Zivko Radisic, who froze his activities because of the arbitration
decision on Brcko.
Westendorp said he hoped today's meeting was the end of the boycott,
but added he had not been given clear assurances.
He said he could understand but could not justify Radisic's
actions, adding if it proved necessary, he would again use his
powers and personally call the new meeting of the Presidency.
The decision on the beginning of implementation of a single customs
law on the state level was one of the conditions for the
organisation of a donors' conference (announced for mid-May), set
by the international community.
However, until then, the state authorities are to secure
considerable progress as regards refugee return and implementation
of property laws, start reorganising the payments system, continue
the privatisation process and adopt a law on Radio and Television of
the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The state Presidency today also approved a DM200 million budget and
agreed to the appointment of the new US ambassador and the apostolic
nuncio.
(hina) rml