Date:07/05/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/05/07/stories/2003050703911200.htm

National

Bosnia takes 'neutral position' on J&K issue

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 6. The Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mladen Ivanic, called on the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

Dr. Ivanic, the highest-ranking Bosnian to visit India in the last 11 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, told this correspondent that one reason for this lack of high-level contact could be because Bosnia was in the "middle of a war" for some years. He was candid enough to say that all these years Bosnia had been looking to the United States and the European Union, especially for financial support. Dr. Ivanic, who will call on the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and hold talks with the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, stressed that Bosnia was not a "Muslim" State. While ethnic Muslims made up 45 per cent of the federation, a little over 50 per cent were non-Muslims. The Minister, who will travel to Islamabad from New Delhi, conceded that a "little bit" of the balancing factor did come into play in his visit to India. In the past, Bosnian Ministers had visited Pakistan but not travelled to India. "There will be a balanced approach now."

On the Jammu and Kashmir issue, his country had a "neutral position".

Mr. Ivanic repeatedly stressed that it was for India and Pakistan to decide on the issues that concerned them.

Bosnia, which had observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), was not contemplating taking full membership of the OIC. However, the Federation, that was invited as a "guest" to the last Non-Aligned Movement summit in Kuala Lumpur in February, had applied to become an "observer" in NAM.

Pointing out that the situation in Bosnia and the rest of South-East Europe had improved dramatically, Mr. Ivanic said the future lay in regional cooperation.

Last year, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania, had agreed to a free trade arrangement. This was to be built into a free trade area. Pointing out that the future of his country lay with the European Union, he stated that a feasibility study on Bosnia linking up with the EU would begin this year.

"We hope the study will have a positive outcome. Our goal is to become a member of the European Union by 2009," he added.