DONORS' CONFERENCE TO BE HELD DESPITE SERB REFUSAL TO COOPERATE - STEINER

STEINER SARAJEVO, June 9 (Hina) - A deputy High Representative of the international community to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Michael Steiner, said on Monday that Bosnian Serb refusal to accept formally seven laws necessary for the functioning of State of Bosnia-Herzegovina would not bring into question the holding of donors' conference on assistance in Bosnia's reconstruction. But, the Serb entity would suffer the consequence for such act, Steiner told a news conference in Sarajevo after a meeting with Contact- Group member-states' representatives in the Bosnian capital. Before this session, the German diplomat had also met officials of political parties' from the (Croat-Moslem) Federation, which had their deputies in the state Parliament, and those officials confirmed the readiness of their parties to vote for adoption of seven laws, agreed upon on principle before a conference in Sintra, Portugal. Steiner confirmed that Bosnian Serbs wanted to exclude laws on customs and tariffs from the "quick-start package", and portrayed their demand as unacceptable. According to him, the international community is resolute not to allow that one entity, which is the Federation in this case, may become a hostage of the lack of readiness of the other party. Steiner added that the donors'' conference, scheduled for 24 and 25 June, would treat Bosnia-Herzegovina as a whole, but money would not be sent to the Bosnian Serb entity as long as Serbs refused to cooperate. (hina) jn mš 091928 MET jun 97