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EU Donates $89 Million to Bosnia While Pressing for Elections
SARAJEVO, June 7 (Reuters) -- The European Union on Friday donated 72 million ECUs ($89 million) to Bosnia to help it overcome the devastation of 43 months of war, and pressed for fair and free elections to reintegrate the country. Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic announced the grants after meeting EU president Jacques Santer and EU Council of Ministers chairman Lamberto Dini of Italy in Sarajevo.
Santer and Dini later met the international community's High Representative for Bosnia Carl Bildt and Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Gojko Klickovic who arrived in the Bosnian capital for the occasion. Destruction in Bosnia is estimated at tens of billions of dollars and authors of the Dayton peace plan are eager to see money for reconstruction flow into the republic.
International donors pledged $1.8 billion dollars at a conference in Brussels last April but the funds have been slow to arrive. From Sarajevo, the two visitors went on to the Croatian capital Zagreb for talks with President Franjo Tudjman.
There they told reporters that the former Yugoslav republics would have to normalise relations with one another before they could have closer ties with the EU. "Further relations of these countries with the European Union have to go through the regional approach to peace and stability," said Santer.
Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic made clear that his country is opposing any institutional association with the countries it fought a bloody war to separate from. "As far as the regional approach is concerned, Croatia supports the cooperation of all the countries in the region, but we are a Central European and a Mediterainean country, and we want an integration with those regions," Granic said.
Despite Croatia's reluctance to improve regional ties, Dini said Tudjman confirmed his support for local elections in the EU-administered southern city of Mostar, set for the end of June. "We are greatly encouraged by the statements we have heard, and the committment to peace that the President Tudjman has indicated to us," Dini told reporters after meeting Tudjman.
Elections were also high on the agenda when the two EU officials met Bosnian leaders in Sarajevo. They discussed the national elections scheduled for mid-September after which the country, still effectively divided by war, should be reintegrated.
"The international community considers the holding of elections not later then September 14th to be essential for the peace process to go ahead," Dini said. Doubts remain conditions for free and fair elections will be established by the date due for the poll. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe is due to decide this week if appropriate conditions exist and to announce an election date.
He said at the very least, there should be "the free movement of people, the possibility of a larger return of refugees to the place of origin, plurality in the media and freedom of association on a political level. We are aware that those conditions are not fulfilled... There are three months (more) and in three months a lot can be done if there is a will to proceed on both sides." Diplomats say there is considerable international pressure for elections to go ahead under virtually any circumstances short of renewed war.
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Berserkistan, June 8 · Sacirbey: U.S. Applying Undue Pressure On Bosnia Over Elections
Berserkistan, June 7 · Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Says Bosnian Elections Can Undo Dayton
Berserkistan, June 5 · Frowick Angers OSCE Staff with Spin on Elections
Berserkistan, June 4 · Major Powers: Elections Must Stay on Schedule
Berserkistan, June 3 · Voter Registration Begins in Bosnia
Berserkistan, June 2 · Bosnia’s Elections Remain on Track Despite Karadzic
Berserkistan, June 2 · Bosnia: Fair Elections, but Not at Any Price
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