SARAJEVO, June 15 (Hina) - Ante Jelavic on Tuesday took over the chairmanship of the collective Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, promising to build up efforts aimed at stabilising the situation in that country as well as at its
approaching the European institutions. At the ceremony held in Sarajevo, Jelavic who was elected in the Bosnian three-man presidency as a candidate of the Croat people in 1998, took over this duty from Serb Zivko Radisic, who was the chairman of the Presidency in the last eight months. In conformity with the Constitution, the three members of the Bosnian Presidency are elected to the four-year-term, and every eight month they rotate at the post of the chairman (the first among the equal). Delivering the inaugural speech, Jelavic said that in the past period one could get an impression that the Presidency was functioning in a too formalist manner and that many issues were not solved
SARAJEVO, June 15 (Hina) - Ante Jelavic on Tuesday took over the
chairmanship of the collective Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
promising to build up efforts aimed at stabilising the situation in
that country as well as at its approaching the European
institutions.
At the ceremony held in Sarajevo, Jelavic who was elected in the
Bosnian three-man presidency as a candidate of the Croat people in
1998, took over this duty from Serb Zivko Radisic, who was the
chairman of the Presidency in the last eight months.
In conformity with the Constitution, the three members of the
Bosnian Presidency are elected to the four-year-term, and every
eight month they rotate at the post of the chairman (the first among
the equal).
Delivering the inaugural speech, Jelavic said that in the past
period one could get an impression that the Presidency was
functioning in a too formalist manner and that many issues were not
solved in a satisfactory way.
"Time and tasks before us require new incentives, new ideas, new
approaches which will not primarily be conditioned by the national
position of each member of the Bosnian Presidency ...,"Jelavic
said.
He added he would support the construction of joint state
institutions, the improvement of the situation in the entire
Bosnia, and the full respect to the Dayton Accords, with the aim of
creating a multiethnic and de-centralised Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He announced his support to the work of small and medium-sized
companies, the fair privatisation, the fight against corruption
and crime as well as to measures aimed at strengthening the general
security in the country in order to facilitate the speedier return
of refugees.
He cited Bosnia's admittance into the Council of Europe and the
World Trade Organisation (WTO) as well as the endorsement of the
Stability Pact in Southeastern Europe as priorities in the foreign
policy.
After the expiry of Jelavic's eight-month-term, Moslem
representative Alija Izetbegovic will take over the duty.
(hina) ms