BOSNIA NEWS

SARAJEVO,Bosnia - From the 16th to the 20th August 2007, the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) will be conducting a major exercise in Bosnia. It will involve both reserve forces from Germany and also members of the Bosnian Armed Forces.

Neil Matheison, EUFOR spokesperson, stated at a press conference that “a battalion from the 232 Mountain Regiment from Germany began to arrive in Sarajevo. On the 16th August they will deploy to Camp Eagle Base in Tuzla. Exercises will be conducted at Commanche Base.

The EUFOR Multi-National Battalion will simultaneously deploy to the training camp near Banja Luka on this day. Throughout the following four days, both military units will exercise various scenarios. They will show EUFOR’s capability to contribute to maintaining a safe and secure in Bosnia.

The exercise will test the activation procedure for EUFOR’s reserve forces that are based in Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. It will be the first time since EUFOR transition that this procedure has been rehearsed and as such is the largest deployment of troops in support of EUFOR this year.

A noteworthy aspect of this exercise is the involvement for the first time in a major EUFOR exercise, of an infantry Company of the Bosnian Army.The EUFOR Commander, Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer, was delighted that the Bosnian Ministry of Defence decided to participate in this event. It is hoped that working alongside EUFOR troops will strengthen the already good relations that exist between the two forces.

SARAJEVO,Bosnia – The Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees is concerned over the fact that the imprisonment for a Bosnian citizen Ilija Jurisic has been expanded in Serbia.

Ilija Jurisic is a Bosnian patriot who participated in defending the Bosnian city of Tuzla from the Serbian aggressor,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggresion against Bosnia.He has been arrested by the Serbian aggressor and has been in a prison in Belgrade since 11 May 2007.

”Keeping in mind the fact that Ilija Jurisic’s health has deteriorated, we are surprised that the Serbian authorities have decided to expand the prison for him”, the Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees announced.

It has again been mentioned that the case should not be politicized and that it should be solved in coordination between the Bosnian and Serbian ministries of justice.

SARAJEVO,Bosnia – Every sale of weapons for Bosnia is the result of bilateral agreement between the Bosnian government and other organizations, Neil Matheison, EUFOR Spokesperson stated, commenting the media reports on alleged illegal procedures on sale and transport of weapons from Bosnia.

Matheison started at the international organizations’ press conference in Sarajevo that the EUFOR does not have any information which would open a possibility of an illegal trade.

”From the past experience, one can say that the Bosnian governmnet has always been strict when discussing the sale of weapons and that no illegal procedures have been taken”, EUFOR Spokesperson said.

Some media have announced that the weapons were further transported to Iraq.

ZENICA,Bosnia – The Mittal Steel Company Union has informed the company management that they will stop all the activities in the company on September 10, 11 and 12. All of the activities will be seized for two hours. On September 13, they will hold another general strike, beginning at 7 a.m.

”The Union has decided that our main demand is the increase of hourly wage”, Islam Imamovic stated at a press conference in Zenica.

. In the following few days, the Union will submit a complaint to the Zenica Municipal Court to the August 3 verdict which banned organizing and entering the general strike.