UN General Assembly
1998

It is my privilege and honour to address the fifty-third session of the General Assembly on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 12 At the outset I would like to congratulate Mr. Didier Opertti on his election as President. His well-known skills and experience in international affairs guarantee the wise conduct of this session. Our gratitude goes to the outgoing President, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine. Just a few days ago the outcome of the recent general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina was made public. We are satisfied with the fact that those important elections, conducted under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), passed practically without incident or disruption. According to the general assessment by the international and local monitors, we had free and fair elections. A new chapter in the political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina is about to begin. The new Parliament and the new Council of Ministers will have to address without delay a number of issues of vital importance for our