Speeches
11/24/2000
Speech by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, at the EU’s Summit on the Balkans
Zagreb, 24 November 2000 President Mesic, President Chirac, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen; Only a few weeks ago, not many of us here today thought such a summit was possible. It is fitting that we meet here in Zagreb. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the lead Croatia has taken in setting a new course -- and new democratic sta [...]
11/19/2000
Address by the High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, to the OSCE Permanent Council
Vienna, 20 November 2000 Madam Chairperson, Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Ambassador Barry has briefed you thoroughly on the November 11th poll so I will limit myself to a few words on the third post-Dayton general elections. But first of all, let me use this occasion to congratulate Ambassador Barry and his staff on the extremely well orga [...]
11/07/2000
“Bosnien und Herzegowina – Stärkung des Staates als Basis wirtschaftlichen Fortschritts” 5. Jahreskonferenz Focus Osteuropa
Bern, 7. November 2000 Anrede, Bosnien und Herzegowina wird oft nur als Quelle schlechter Nachrichten, als hoffnungsloser Fall ohne Aussicht auf rasche Besserung, gesehen. Um so mehr freut es mich, daß die Schweizerische Politik und Wirtschaft diesem Land eine ganze Konferenz widmet. Es ist mir klar, daß sich Bosnien und Herzegowina spätestens seit [...]
11/02/2000
Speech by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to “Circle 99”
Sarajevo, 02 November 2000 At the weekend, a British national newspaper complained in an editorial entitled "A passport to our own destruction", that an attempt by Brussels to introduce a "Euro" passport was an "assault on the nation's identity". It went on that British citizens had already lost a one thousand year-old right to use pounds and ounce [...]
10/29/2000
Address by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to the United Nations Security Council
New York, 26 October 2000, 10:30 a.m. Honourable Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Security Council, I address you at what is a time of great change and renewed hope for southeastern Europe. The future -- potentially -- for Bosnia and Herzegovina looks very different today because of the seismic changes in two key neighbouring countries -- Yug [...]
10/23/2000
Excerpts from the Speech at the Dinner hosted by HR Wolfgang Petritsch in Honor of President Alija Izetbegovic
Sarajevo, 23 October 2000, 19.30 hrs. Dear Mr. Izetbegovic, dear Guests, I am delighted to welcome you here this evening to honour Mr. Izetbegovic on the occasion of his recent departure from the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I hope that we will have a chance this evening, as well as to look back on Mr.
09/07/2000
Speech by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch at the International Forfaiting Conference “The Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an Integrative Europe”
International Forfaiting Conference, Raiffeisen Zentralbank Seefeld, 07 September 2000 Ladies and gentlemen, Bosnia and Herzegovina in fact the whole Balkans are often seen as a bad news story which few outside the region are willing to listen to any longer.
09/05/2000
Speech by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch at the Volksbank: “Politische Rahmenbedingungen und Perspektiven für BiH”
Volksbank Wien, 05 September 2000 Sie können sich vorstellen, dass ich häufig gefragt werde, ob meine Mission in Bosnien und Herzegowina nicht eine "mission impossible" ist. Es ist schon richtig, der Balkan hat einen sehr schlechten Ruf. Seine Geschichte ist konfliktgeladen und blutig.
07/10/2000
Speech at the Opening of an Exhibition of Handicraft by Women of Srebrenica in Remembrance of the Victims of Srebrenica
Sarajevo, 10 July 2000 Women of Srebrenica, ladies and gentlemen, We are here to mark a dark day. On July 11, 1995 Srebrenica fell to Bosnian Serb forces. Women, children and the elderly were forced onto buses and expelled. They did not know -- and still don't know today -- what happened to their husbands, sons, fathers and brothers; men and boys w [...]
06/29/2000
Speech by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch to the “Club of Three”
Session 1 BOSNIA ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY? Brussels, 29/30 June 2000 Ladies and Gentlemen, I was in Brussels just a month ago and the occasion was the ministerial meeting of the Peace Implementation Council - the supreme body to oversee the implementation of the Dayton Accord.