INVITATION FOR THE SECRETARY TO ATTEND CLOSING

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 001065 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (HIGHLAND,FOOKS). E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL BA SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR THE SECRETARY TO ATTEND CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE BRCKO SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE ¶1. (U) The Embassy received a diplomatic note (paragraph 2) with a copy of an official letter (paragraph 3) from Presidency Chairman Komsic, inviting the Secretary to attend the official closing ceremony in mid-November for the office of the Supervisor of Brcko District. ¶2. (U) Begin Text of Diplomatic Note: The Office of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and herzegovina presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States in Sarajevo and has the honour to forward the copy of the invitation letter from the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Mr. Zeljko Komsic, sent to the US State Secretary, Hon. Hillary R. Clinton for the occasion of closing ceremony of the Office of the Supervisor of Brcko District. The invitation was sent through the diplomatic channels and we have the honour to send you the copy of the invitation. The Office of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America in Sarajevo the assurances of its highest consideration. Sarajevo, August 24th 2009. End text. ¶3. (3) Begin Text of Invitation Letter: Dear Secretary Clinton, The United States of America has played a vital role in bringing peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH),helping it to recover from the war, and making it possible for it to pursue its manifest destiny as members of both NATO and the European Union. Nowhere in BiH has the US peacekeeping effort been more present, visible or successful than in Brcko District, the strategically important area in northeastern BiH. In the November 1995 negotiations to end the war in BiH, the parties could not agree how to resolve the Entities' competing claims regarding the boundary line between Republika Srpska and the federation in the Brcko area. The disagreement was serious, but rather than return to war, the Entities agreed to subject their dispute to a building arbitration. In March, 1999, the Arbitral Tribunal for the dispute over the Brcko area issued its Final Award, which directed the establishment of a single, unitary, multiethnic unit of local self-governance directly under the sovereignty of BiH. Although the Final Award made the territory of Brcko a condominium of both entities, both were deemed to have permanently delegated all their powers of governance to the new local iQitutions of Brcko District. Thanks primarily to US leadership, capability, and resources, the people of Brcko have succeeded in establishing a truly multiethnic Distric that serves as an example for police, schools, and public administration. The American role in Brcko has been a key to its success. The District was formally inaugurated in March 2000 by then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. All Brchko Supervisors have been Americans, while American jurist Amb. Roberts Owen has continued as the President of the Arbitral Tribunal. Americans made up the vast majority of the peacekeeping troops, police, and government specialist who helped bring peace, insured freedom of movement, and established the District,s many institutions. Brcko became a sister city of St. Louis, Missouri in May 2008. We expect Supervision to come to a formal end in mid-November of this year given the successful implementation of the Final Award. Brcko District and the Supervisor,s Brcko Final Award Office intended to mark the occasion with a suitably festive but nonetheless solemn ceremony. Given your personal interest in BiH, as well as your predecessor,s role in inaugurating the District, we think it would be most fitting if you could be present to help mark the closing of this very successful chapter of US peacekeeping efforts. As such, it is our great pleasure and distinct privilege to invite you to participate in the closing ceremony. While we expect Supervision to formally end on 19 November, the day of the closing ceremony can be suitably adjusted to accommodate any commitments you may already have. Respectfully, Zeljko Komsik Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Raffi Gregorian Supervisor of Brcko District Dr. Dragan Pajic Mayor of Brcko District Mr. Mirsad Djapo President of the Brcko District Assembly End Text MOORE