CENTRAL BOSNIA CANTON MUNICIPALITIES SIGN MEMORANDUM ON UNDERSTAND ING

ING TRAVNIK, 16 July (Hina) - Representatives of the Central Bosnia Canton municipalities and the U.S. development agency USAID signed a memorandum on understanding in Travnik on Wednesday. The document envisages the reconstruction of war-damaged and destroyed utility facilities in Donji Vakuf, Uskoplje, Kiseljak, Novi Travnik and Fojnica. The value of the reconstruction project is US $1,6 million. #L# the main condition for the use of those assets is respect for the Dayton agreement in the areas the memorandum refers to, in particular respect for human rights and freedoms, the process of return of refugees and the exclusion of war crime suspects from municipal authorities. The memorandum was signed by the heads and presidents of the transitional municipal councils of Donji Vakuf, Fojnica and Novi Travnik and the director of the USAID mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Craig Buck. The Bosniak representative from Uskoplje did not attend the signing ceremony, while the Croat representative of Kiseljak, although attending, refused to sign the memorandum. According to Buck, USAID had invested over US $13,5 million in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996. This year, the agency would invest another US $2,3 million. We are checking the programs of private entrepreneurs, worth 9,7 million German marks, Buck added. Joint police forces should be established in the Central Bosnia Canton as soon as possible, so that basic principles of the Dayton agreement, in particular human rights and freedoms and especially freedom of movement, could be respected, Buck said. He ruled out the possibility of financial support for state-owned companies. Let them first privatise the companies and then they can count on our support, he said. (hina) rm mm 161644 MET jul 97