VAN DEN BROEK AND WESTENDORP HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE IN SARAJEVO

( Vidi vijest: 6383 ) SARAJEVO, Oct 28 (Hina) - European Commissioner for foreign affairs, Hans Van Den Broek and the international High Representative for the implementation of the Dayton Agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, warned on Tuesday that the international community can no longer tolerate the not functioning of central bodies of authority in Bosnia, as well as the failure to reach crucial economic relations laws . They told a news conference in Sarajevo that the patience of the international community was about to be exhausted, adding that in the upcoming period, more determined measures would be undertaken, including the expansion of the mandate of the Office of the High Representative. At the level of the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina, there still lacked the necessary progress in reconstruction, cooperation and reconciliation which had been reached on a local level in certain places, Van den Broek said after a meeting with the three members of the Bosnian Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, Kresimir Zubak and Momcilo Krajisnik. He added that he had told the members of the Presidency that the European Union would not wait for them to find an agreement, but would direct its help for the reconstruction of Bosnia through other channels, through bodies of authority at lower levels. Westendorp said on Tuesday that he had forwarded to Izetbegovic, Zubak and Krajisnik, as well as members of the Bosnian Council of Ministers, a request for the adoption of 20 decisions and laws crucial for the functioning of the state. The international community was very impatient regarding the functioning of the joint institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the adoption of the necessary economic laws. The failure to adopt them obstructed Bosnia's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and commercial banks, Westendorp said. He added that such actions in Bosnia, had given rise to a very serious situation which had to be resolved quickly by the Presidency and Council of Ministers. The international community would either lose its patience or delegate a new mandate to the Office of the High representative, he said. An agreement on concrete solutions still had not been reached, he said. Westendorp announced a meeting of the Administrative Board for the implementation of the peace process in Sarajevo for 6 November, to discuss the situation in the country, while an international conference on the implementation of the Dayton Agreement is to take place in Bonn on 12 December. Van den Broek and Westendorp issued a joint statement on Tuesday regarding accusations of the misappropriation of funds set aside for the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The text distributed to reporters cited their determination to investigate such allegations, although there was no evidence that the money from donations was disappearing. The two indicated the need to ensure complete supervision of all financial streams in Bosnia, not only foreign donations, but also revenues from tax and customs. The statement especially recalled that those failing to cooperate in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement could not count on financial assistance, especially mentioning the faction from Pale among Bosnian Serbs. (hina) lm 281431 MET oct 97