Brussels, 02/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - Further to the resignation of Mriko Sarovic, a Bosnian Serb and member of the collegial presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten issued the following statement: "The resignation of Mrko Sarovic from the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the right response to the Orao arms to Iraq affair. I welcome his decision to accept the political responsibility in this matter. This should draw a line under this affair, and allow BiH to move forward rapidly with the process of reform. The illegal sale of military equipment to Iraq, in contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions, has severely damaged the interests of BiH and all its citizens. I also strongly support the steps which High Representative Ashdown has launched to strengthen civilian and state-level command over Bosnia and Herzegovina's armed forces, in order to ensure that such violations of international and domestic law are not repeated".
According to Associated Press, a report by international experts reveals that Mriko Sarovic supervised the illegal export of military engines for Iraqi aviation. The report was apparently presented last week to Lord Ashdown, who had requested an inquiry into the matter. The violation of the embargo, that took place from 1997 to 2002, was discovered last autumn by NATO and is said to involve the Bosnian-Serb VZ Orao aeronautics company as well as a Yugoslav state-owned company, Yugoimport. Mr Sarovic was then President of the Republika Srpska (RS) (between 2000 and 2002).