BOSNIA - MFA SENDS SECOND DIP NOTE CLARIFYING

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000645 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/SCE (FOOKS, MCGUIRE),L/LEI (GUTHERIE),THE HAGUE (MANNING, JOHNSON) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CJAN PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - MFA SENDS SECOND DIP NOTE CLARIFYING BOSNIA'S POSITION ON SACIRBEY EXTRADITION CASE REF: A) SARAJEVO 641 AND PRIOR B) GUTHERIE/FOOKS/TRIM 5/27 EMAIL ¶1. (SBU) Per the Department's request, on May 28 we sought from the MFA additional documentation clarifying the Bosnian government's support for having Muhamed Sacirbey testify before the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia via video-link (Refs A and B). In response to our request, Jasmina Sarajlic, a staffer with the International Legal and Consular Affairs Division, forwarded another dip note which explicitly states that in giving its approval, the State Ministry of Justice was acting on behalf of the Council of Ministers. A translation of the dip note that was sent electronically to the Department follows. ¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in connection with the Ministry's note: 08/3-22-02-5-223/09, dated May 22, 2009, has the honor to inform the Embassy that the position of the BiH Ministry of Justice presented in the said note of the Ministry dated May 22, 2009, represents the position of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina since the Council of Ministers of BiH, at its 88th session held on May 21,2009, tasked the BiH Justice Ministry to, in cooperation with responsible judicial institutions, study the note from the Embassy of the United States of America about this position on the said note, and to inform the Embassy of the United States of America about this position via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina avails itself of this opportunity to reiterate to the Embassy of the United States of America in Bosnia and Herzegovina the assurances of its highest consideration. END TEXT ENGLISH