The issue of national identity is taken seriously by Balkan people – including the least serious among them.
Bosnia Press Review - November 23
Sarajevo | 23 November 2009 |
Here are the top stories in Bosnia and Herzegovina's main newspapers. Balkan Insight has not verified the reports and cannot vouch for their accuracy.
OSLOBODJENJE
Residents of several apartment buildings in downtown Sarajevo were evacuated from their homes and electricity supply to the area was cut off on Sunday after a natural gas leak. It followed damage to a natural gas pipe by construction workers repairing a petrol station in the area. It took more than five hours before electricity was turned back on, the area deemed safe and residents allowed back into their homes. However, the residents were asked to take precautions and to keep windows open.
DNEVNI AVAZ
Deputy to the international community’s High Representative in Bosnia, US diplomat Raffi Gregorian described the country as a “mafia state” during an intellectuals’ gathering in Sarajevo on Sunday. Gregorian said that a decision not to extend the mandate of international prosecutors and judges in the country was supported in the parliament by MPs from political parties whose leaders had been convicted or indicted of criminal activity. Gregorian said that they were the greatest obstacle to Bosnia’s Euro-Atlantic integrations because EU and NATO do not want a mafia state among their members.
NEZAVISNE NOVINE
Bosnian human rights ombudsmen are often forced to cancel official visits to EU member countries because they do not have diplomatic passports or long lasting Schengen visas. Ombudsmen are forced to wait in long lines before embassies to apply for visas whenever they need to travel to Europe for official meetings. However, the country’s foreign ministry cannot help them because it had to accept an obligation not to increase the number of diplomatic passport holders before EU agreed in 2008 to grant visa free travel to Bosnian diplomats.
Residents of several apartment buildings in downtown Sarajevo were evacuated from their homes and electricity supply to the area was cut off on Sunday after a natural gas leak. It followed damage to a natural gas pipe by construction workers repairing a petrol station in the area. It took more than five hours before electricity was turned back on, the area deemed safe and residents allowed back into their homes. However, the residents were asked to take precautions and to keep windows open.
DNEVNI AVAZ
Deputy to the international community’s High Representative in Bosnia, US diplomat Raffi Gregorian described the country as a “mafia state” during an intellectuals’ gathering in Sarajevo on Sunday. Gregorian said that a decision not to extend the mandate of international prosecutors and judges in the country was supported in the parliament by MPs from political parties whose leaders had been convicted or indicted of criminal activity. Gregorian said that they were the greatest obstacle to Bosnia’s Euro-Atlantic integrations because EU and NATO do not want a mafia state among their members.
NEZAVISNE NOVINE
Bosnian human rights ombudsmen are often forced to cancel official visits to EU member countries because they do not have diplomatic passports or long lasting Schengen visas. Ombudsmen are forced to wait in long lines before embassies to apply for visas whenever they need to travel to Europe for official meetings. However, the country’s foreign ministry cannot help them because it had to accept an obligation not to increase the number of diplomatic passport holders before EU agreed in 2008 to grant visa free travel to Bosnian diplomats.
