*EPF210 06/17/2003
Text: Armitage Urges Bosnia to Speed Reforms, Combat Trafficking
(June 16 meeting with Prime Minister Terzic, Foreign Ministrer Ivanic) (260)

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met in Washington June 16 with Prime Minister Adnan Terzic and Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they discussed the pace of economic and military reforms in Bosnia, as well as that country's efforts to combat human trafficking.

Following is a statement by Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 16, 2003

Statement by Deputy Spokesman Philip T. Reeker

MEETING OF DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE WITH PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Deputy Secretary Richard L. Armitage met today with Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Adnan Terzic and Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic. They agreed on the need to accelerate economic and military reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on the essential role the United States continues to play in maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans. The Deputy Secretary underscored U.S. support for on-going military reform and for Bosnia and Herzegovina's early entry into the Partnership for Peace program, and eventually NATO. The Deputy Secretary stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina could make specific improvements in its effort to combat trafficking in persons within 90 days to avoid restrictions on U.S. assistance.

The Deputy Secretary and the Foreign Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the "Tracker" export control licensing system. This system will assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in its effort to develop a state-level system to control the export of sensitive military technologies.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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