Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : SRI PERDANA, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 11/08/97
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF
H.E. MR. BORO BOSIC AND H.E. MR.
HARIS SILAJDZIC,CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS,BOSNIA
1. I am happy to welcome, on behalf of the Government
of Malaysia, their Excellencies the two Co-Chairmen,
their spouses and the members of the delegation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina to Malaysia. This visit by
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
Malaysia is indeed of great significance as it signifies
the achievement of national reconciliation, following
the Dayton Peace Agreement. It is commendable that at
least some common institutions are already functioning
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Malaysia feels particularly
privileged to be hosting this first ever official visit
to a foreign country by the leaders of the three major
ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2. Malaysia attaches utmost importance to the close
relations that it is fostering with Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the South East European region. We are
linked by a strong bond of friendship and solidarity
founded upon the shared commitment towards peace,
freedom and justice. Bosnia and Herzegovina is of
special interest to Malaysia as both our countries share
a strong multi-ethnic and multi-cultural element.
3. Malaysia is conscious that Bosnia and Herzegovina
is going through rather traumatic and difficult times as
it puts together a government to defend its sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity and build upon
the fragile peace that has been established. We
recognise that time is needed to heal the horrors of
some 54 months of fighting. We also recognise that
while the Dayton Peace Accord is a good basis to start
from, it is not without its shortcomings. Nevertheless,
we are optimistic that a genuine spirit of give-and-take
can help to bring the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina
together. The peace that has been achieved must be
nurtured to become a genuine and durable one. It is
important to ensure that the horrors and atrocities seen
during the war are not repeated. It will not be easy to
forget those horrors and they should not be forgotten if
they are not to be repeated and if the culprits are to
be punished. But at the same time it is necessary to
look forward in order to rebuild and to meet future
challenges.
4. From our own experience in Malaysia, we know that
attention has always been paid to the delicate balance
of the interests of all the peoples concerned. In our
kind of society, the element of a healthy respect for
others is vital. Tolerance, compromise, confidence-
building, power-sharing, goodwill, cooperation and a
good understanding of sensitivities are also important
in our political culture. Those of us living in plural
societies have very little choice but to live together,
accommodate and respect each other and cooperate for the
benefit of all. Malaysia has its own way of managing
and overcoming the problems of a plural society. We
believe that there has to be judicious use of both legal
and moral authority. In this, we will be only too happy
to share our experience with others, including with all
our brothers and sisters in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
5. While Malaysia remains committed to assisting
Bosnia and Herzegovina where possible, it is also our
desire to develop a genuine partnership with Bosnia and
Herzegovina. We recognise your strengths and potential.
We are optimistic that with a true commitment towards
peace among all parties concerned, the Bosnian economy
can be rebuilt and developed, its political structures
can be put in place properly and the social fabric
strengthened. At the same time the reasonable
aspiration of all the various groups can be adequately
met and fulfilled. We wish to work with you as you
strive towards the implementation of the Dayton Peace
Agreement and the reconstruction of the country.
6. Malaysia has again committed a sum of US$12 million
for the 1997 reconstruction programme. The modalities
for the disbursement of the funds and projects to be
implemented are under discussion. In this regard we
would like to see more active participation by the
private sectors from both countries, not only in those
projects identified by us but also in other projects
including those funded by others. I am encouraged that
a number of representatives of Bosnian companies have
come with you on this visit. Hopefully they will be
able to establish mutually beneficial working relations
with their local counterparts here.
7. Malaysia can certainly be of help in certain areas
including privatisation, trade and investment promotion
and economic planning. We are willing to share our
experience in the development of small and medium scale
industries and participate in infrastructure development
and in the reconstruction of existing facilities and
construction of new ones such as airports, highways and
power plants. Some Malaysian firms also have expertise
in projects identified under the auspices of the South
East European Cooperative Initiative (SECI).
8. We are keen also to work with some other like-
minded countries in Bosnia and Herzegovina and have
indeed discussed the idea of launching tripartite or
quadripartite efforts with a number of these countries.
We feel that one way to accelerate the pace of
reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to encourage
a synergy of interests among many countries in specific
projects. Over the years, Malaysian entrepreneurs have
gained experience and expertise in many fields. They
can share these and their resources with Bosnian
entrepreneurs not only in Bosnia but also in Malaysia
and in other countries.
9. That the volume of trade between our two countries
is still very small should not be cause for
discouragement. There is scope for it to grow as Bosnia
and Herzegovina build a broad industrial base based on
its good technological know-how and highly skilled
people. It is our hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will
become one of Malaysia's strategic partner in Southern
Europe. We on the other hand can be an important
conduit for your products to enter the wider East Asian
market.
10. Malaysia's commitment towards the preservation and
promotion of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains
strong. The continued deployment of the Malaysian
contingent serving with the Stabilisation Force (SFOR)
and its precursor, IFOR is evidence of this commitment.
Our troops will remain there as long as there is an
international mandate for them to do so. The troops are
there to nurture peace, not to serve sectional
interests.
11. Malaysia shares the view of the international
community that peace must be safeguarded in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. There has to be respect for the law.
Those who have been indicted as war criminals have to be
made answerable for their actions. Their place right
now is before the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
12. I do hope that this visit will be the beginning of
a new chapter in a close and enduring friendship between
our two countries. Our peoples, regardless of ethnic
background, religion or culture can live together in
peace and harmony. With that, I offer my sincere good
wishes to Your Excellencies for your good health and
success and your joint efforts to promote peace and
reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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