Zeljka Cvijanovic - Prime Minister, Republika Srpska HARDtalk

alleged the UK government signed a deal in 2007 for the US to process

the data which had previously been off`limits. Those are the headlines,

time now for HARDtalk. Welcome to HARDtalk. Bosnia

Herzegovina is a nation state built on fragile foundations. It emerged

from a brutal ethnic war. Its make`up ` a Serb mini`state

reluctantly yoked to a Muslim Croat federation ` is dysfunctional. And

there are now fears it could disintegrate. My guess today is

Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska

enclave in Bosnia. Are the separatist Bosnian Serbs playing

with fire? `` guest. Zeljka Cvijanovic, welcome to

HARDtalk. Let me ask a question which I have never asked of a Prime

minister before. What country do you feel you are from? A country which

has operated in peace for 18 years now. As of this Thursday marks an

important anniversary. No hesitation in your mind. I am speaking about

Bosnia Herzegovina because it was... As you may know, we are not

speaking about the enclaves... Even as we begin to discuss it, it can

become very complicated very quickly. In a sense, you see

yourself as a citizen of Bosnia Herzegovina? That is very important.

I see myself as a citizen of Bosnia Herzegovina. You have a passport?

And that was a Bosnian passport? By speaking about civil rights, their

citizenship, by law it was possible to say many of us are the citizens

of Bosnia Herzegovina. The man who appointed you to your current

position says that Bosnia Herzegovina has no viability and no

future and will very soon be dissolved. Many people think about

it that way. Do you? I think Bosnia Herzegovina is a country... It has a

possibility to have a future. It depends how realistic we are in our

approach. Unfortunately, it has suffered from stereotypes for many

of years. I think it is high time we dispelled prejudice and I think the

whole region actually has been seen through this prison of stereotypes

and never enough the economically. All these other countries in the

region, they are good places to invest money to start businesses. I

fully agree with what the President said. This country, Bosnia

Herzegovina, is facing a lot of challenges. We have to be realistic

in identifying them. Thank you. When you talk about people who bring

prejudicial attitudes to the table, do you include... Who has insisted

that Bosnia Herzegovina cannot function and does not have a future.

All these names that you mentioned, they are separated from the practice

of normal life in our country. We should give possibility to the

European union to function. Concerning the question of

perception of Bosnia Herzegovina full, I understand... It is my duty

as Prime Minister to deal with these present challenges and to think

about what we can do and at the same time to be realistic. When it comes

to money, there is always disagreements. We have an

administrative monster, there is only a 4 million population. We are

trying if we can to get a question and answer going here. One EU source

who is intimately involved with Bosnia Herzegovina sad, let's be

clear, only a sovereign united and independent Bosnia Herzegovina can

join the EU. To you agree? There is no secret about that. They believe

that your party and your government is in a sense the suing a separatist

agenda. Are you walking away from that? We are working very hard to

ensure stability foreign citizens. To be able to have functional and

stable institutions. Will you renounce separatism? I would say,

please allow me to explain, Bosnia Herzegovina, when we speak about

Bosnia Herzegovina, we try to refer to problems which exist, so now at a

state level, there are 22,000 people working as a administrative

workers, there is no country on this planet with only a 4 million

population which can afford that. Former Yugoslavia had... Let me pick

up on that point you made. Make a point and let me pick up on that.

Inside the government of Bosnia Herzegovina, they have tried to push

a series of reforms. They have been thwarted, they have been blocked.

The people blocking have been the Bosnian Serbs. Is it not true? We

stand for reforms and who want to have our judicial system reformed.

There was a system produced... We were the only country actually

applying... Such examples you cannot find in any other European country.

We decided to participate in dialogue... It has been continuing

for years on a whole host of subjects will stop banned from the

EU. Dot. Porting efforts to integrate, unify, to make more

efficient and stronger the state of Bosnia Herzegovina, and the reason

is because you want a separate State of Bosnian Serbs. That is what they

say. So your president is wrong? There simply isn't true. The

President wants to see a referendum in which he says, in net inevitably,

it may not be tomorrow, your people are republicans. I do not think so.

The decisions of high representative... The judicial

system which was established that there... So that was something which

was supposed to be... So you are simply waiting and playing for time.

Waiting for a referendum in which your people will vote for a

separatist state. All these processes are taking place in Bosnia

are right now. To move on the European path... Which would

actually suit a country like Bosnia... You are backing that

reform? You're going to say to do with ending the power structure...

The European Court of Human Rights declared that the way the system

works is unacceptable and is discriminatory against minorities

who are not part of the Serb or Croat communities. To your support

or are you backing that change? It has been discussed for years but it

hasn't happened. Yes, of course, but we have to open an election process

for minorities. It is something which can be seen... No one is

ignoring this. It is not true. It has taken eight years. They are

trying to resolve this issue. So it is all their fault? We cannot which

is taking place between their partners... The EU is trying hard,

which we have heard from different sources. One thing which they also

point out is if Bosnia Herzegovina is to get away a rigourous

application of sectarianism or communism, if it is to get away from

that, is it not time to your Republican serves to stop insisting

that people be issued with cards which clearly identify where you are

from and what community? It was blocked at state level. They would

say that the Bosnian Serbs... They had to act. I had to decide and this

is what I did. You decided that the system should remain sectarian base?

Not to wait for these guys and not being able to make an agreement,

just being able to wait for them. Now we resolve this issue and we

will resolve the issues. Do you have children? Yes, too. Do you like the

fact that your children have ID cards which immediately tell them

which ethnic community the hour from? Is that good or bad? I was not

thinking of it in that way. In the formerly Yugoslavia... Looking to

the next generation, your children's future... Is it good to be defined

ethnic community? People will see and will understand that, it is

important to have identification. Do you want your children to be defined

by the ethic in Judaea from? `` ethnic committee they are from? You

do not have to be defined by numbers. These sorts of nitty`gritty

policies are what define peoples attitudes. There are so many things

that make one person... Identification, you do not have to

specify that way. Your language, your culture. Many other things,

this or that. Who cares about that? What I am trained to see here, is

actually that date an agreement provided for lots of agreements, and

a lot of good. The fact of which, I want to emphasise here, it is very

important to know, raced on recent agreements we had peaceful 18 years

in Bosnia. This is of great value. Whether you like it or not, this is

the value of what we have. The agreement provided for

constitutional setup and the political system. It enabled us to

operate in peace. It also assumed there would be progress. In Bosnia

hurts of any `` Bosnia`Herzegovina, progress has not been delivered. Do

you think that is one of the reasons why, for example, inward investment

into the country, and including to the Republika Srpska, is so very

limited? It is why your own people are suffering the consequences with

40% unemployment, no growth in the last year, and with a feeling that

you are lagging behind the rest of your region. Something I could not

answer, it was action what I wanted to say. It provided something which

was very complied with practices we had in Europe. It was

regionalisation, which means the importance of regions... If the

Republika Srpska subscribes this way, it is not outside of the cost

Jewish and which is already recognised and accepted in Europe.

Nothing is wrong with the actually... We have moved on from

that. The Republika Srpska is not recognised in Europe, you know that.

Obviously, a lot of things have to change there. Bosnia is not a

fairytale. It will have some deficits. No matter how long it will

last, it will last for ever, or for ten years, I do not know that. I do

know that it has some deficits, but there are many other countries. It

is usually said by European Union people, there is no common vision in

Bosnia. Speaking about the attitude of leaders of the parties. Sure, but

that goes for many other European countries. I know some other

countries, I cannot see this joint, a common vision of the future.

Different opinions based on ethnicity. I do not think it is

so... We are trying to find common solutions for the problems that we

have. I just wonder whether you fear that your place, and that is

Republika Srpska, is being left behind in a region which is striving

for change and for growth. Serbia is now pushing very hard to get into

the European Union... It looks as if it may be on track. Even Kosovo has

an economic threat that you can only dream of. There are lots of changes

in the region. It seems as if Republika Srpska is not part of the

positive change. Republika Srpska is part of the positive change. If you

see the details, you will see that it is one of the rare areas in the

region, the former Yugoslavia, where there are big investment cycles. 40%

on employment. The GDP which is $1000 lower than the rest of

Bosnia`Herzegovina. Then we have different figures, actually. These

are the latest figures published from Bosnia hurts a good ``

Herzegovina. You would be surprised to see many positive activities

taking place there. Now, currently, we are the only ones in the region

to build highways. Speaking out about the republic, but also

speaking out about the Federation. These are also activities that they

have there, and I am very happy, because I know that economic

development is something that is really very important for Bosnia as

a whole. I expect that such things will happen in the future. In the

Republika Srpska, we now have several weak energy projects now

taking place. Each of them, the value is 550 million euros, huge

money. I know you have some positive points in your economy. The overall

picture is still quite bleak. It is the same as it is in some European

countries. I just want to talk about more values and cultural points.

Striking was from Serbia's President, not so long over. He was

asked about what happened in 1995. He said, I am now down on my knees,

asking for it part in for the crime that was committed. I apologise for

the crimes committed on Bihar for our state, and our people. `` in

behalf of our people. Would you apologise rural crimes committed by

Serbs? We pay respect to the victims, the families, those who

survived, and who suffered a lot, they deserve to be treated with

respect. The Muslims committed to use his words, self genocide, did

you find that as offensive as the Muslims in Bosnia Herzegovina Ellett

this? ``? It is actually his sentence that everybody who

committed crimes should be brought to justice. He has not apologised.

For what happened, on half of his people. But what he did was a unique

thing. Unlike those who apologised, when he was appointed Prime Minister

in 2006, one of his first decisions was to allocate 50 million marks, 25

million euros, to be spent in order to work on infrastructure... But

this goes beyond money. This is about D`Link. This is about changing

an entire regions culture and mindset. At apology is enough, and

money is needed to help people... But I'm talking about the

recognition of what happened. There were the chief of staff and repel ``

president of the Republika Srpska. Is it not up to you to apologise

unvented knee, as did the President of Serbia? You are suggesting it is

a bad decision, if you want to support people who suffered so much,

economically, as people suffered... This was a good decision, was very

proud of the government, who allocated that amount of money to

show, look, this is where we should work on economy. This is where we

should open new jobs. This is where we should invest in infrastructure.

This should bring new investors. This is a very practical approach to

the area that suffered so much. Though one is escaping from this

suffering. It is not for you and me to measure human pain. We have to

know, we had to treat victims with dignity. This is what they stand

for, this is what the government stand `` stands for. If I may, we

are out of time, a quick question. About the future. We talked about

the children. You believe your children eventually will live an

independent republic, worried Bosnia`Herzegovina that is a pretty

European Union? We will have to wait to become a former browser the

European Union, unfortunately it is so, it is a good formula for

Bosnia`Herzegovina, to have improved life and society, which will be

better. I want to be a part of the European Union. If there are... If

there is any politician in Bosnia`Herzegovina, who worked very

much on the agenda, it is me. Even before I was proud minister. But I

am not going to make some things. `` Prime Minister. I know some things

that need to be done. I am not go to say what will happen in ten years,

20 years time, I will not say what you expect it to say. Turn a blind

eye to the problems that exist in Bosnia, I cannot guarantee what is

going to happen. Thank you very much for being on HARDtalk. Thank you.

Hello again. A little bit of everything over the past 24 hours.

The heavy showers slowly started to ease over the next day also. It is

going to stakeholder. We start off with a touch of frost. It goes into

Scotland and Northern Ireland, certainly in rural areas. Here, we

still have wet ground. There could be a bit of ice in the morning,

across parts of Scotland in particular. We still have some

showers coming across eastern Scotland, still