SARAJEVO, Nov 15 (Hina) - President of the Presidency of Bosnia- Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic on Friday said that a political decision had been reached on a revocation in the Bosnian Federation Defense Ministry, which should ensure
the continuation of the programme "Equip and Train". "The requested changes will be carried out," Izetbegovic told the Sarajevo television in a interview, and stressed that together with Hasan Cengic, Minister Vladimir Soljic also had to be recalled.
SARAJEVO, Nov 15 (Hina) - President of the Presidency of Bosnia-
Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic on Friday said that a political
decision had been reached on a revocation in the Bosnian Federation
Defense Ministry, which should ensure the continuation of the
programme "Equip and Train".
"The requested changes will be carried out," Izetbegovic told
the Sarajevo television in a interview, and stressed that together
with Hasan Cengic, Minister Vladimir Soljic also had to be
recalled. #L#
Izetbegovic said that the Bosnian Federation authorities had
consented to American requests because they realized that without
the cooperation of the United States, the "Equip and Train"
programme could not continue, not could the agreement on regional
arms control be implemented. Under the Agreement, the Serb side is
obligated to destroy 400 to 500 tanks and 700 to 800 cannons.
Special US envoy for issues of military stability in the
Balkans, James Pardew, who on Friday met Izetbegovic, told the
Sarajevo magazine "Dani" that he had been informed that the request
for the dismissal of Bosnian Federation Deputy defense Minister
Hasan Cengic would be met and so remove obstacles for the delivery
of weapons intended for equipping the Bosnian Federation armed
forces.
Bosnian Federation Prime Minister Izudin Kapetanovic had
suggested Hasan Cengic's dismissal, as well as that of Defense
Minister Vladimir Soljic, to which Deputy President of the Bosnian
Federation Ejup Ganic had given his consent, Pardew said.
The suggestion was now before the Bosnian Federation President
Kresimir Zubak and we were waiting for him to sign it as the last
necessary measure for the ship carrying weapons to sail into the
Croatian port of Ploce and for the transport of the American
equipment to Bosnia to begin, Pardew said.
However, Izetbegovic told the Sarajevo television that "For
now, Zubak does not want to sign this document and is asking for
some concessions which have nothing to do with this issue".
Izetbegovic said that Zubak's signature was conditional upon
the resolution of allocating official functions in the Federation
and that such requests had no foundation because they had no basis
in the Constitution.
The Croat side has so far emphasized that the offices of the
president and prime minister of the Bosnian Federation could not be
in the hands of the same ethnic people.
Commenting the Paris conference on Bosnia, Izetbegovic said
that it had been a success.
"Thanks to the pressure of Americans, it was a lot better than
expected," Izetbegovic said, stressing that all principles on the
further implementation of the Peace Agreement had been accepted.
He also said that he had held talks in Paris with the
international arbiter for Brcko, Robert Owen, who had asked that
the deadline for the completion of the arbitration process be
extended for two months.
Izetbegovic said the request would be met because that time
was needed to prepare well the implementation of the decision on
the future status of Brcko.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the most recent IFOR action
near Celici (north Bosnia) and said that NATO troops had taken a
large amount of weapons from the army of Bosnia-Herzegovina without
reason.
Izetbegovic announced that he would ask for a revocation of
the main commander of IFOR ground troops, General Michael Walker,
because, as Izetbegovic said, he was responsible for the act.
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