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SARAJEVO, December 12 (FENA) - The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina today in its first joint session in the new mandate adopted a joint statement on the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Chairman of the Presidency Milorad Dodik after the session held a press conference in his office in the Presidency building.
In one of the items of the joint statement, members of the Presidency expressed their determination to contribute to the speeding up of the reform processes during their term in office, with the aim of initiating accession negotiations for membership in the European Union as soon as possible after a candidate status has been granted.
“We believe that the awarding of a candidate status to BiH would provide a strong incentive for implementing all the reforms necessary for fulfilling the criteria for membership in the European Union,” it is stated, inter alia, in the joint statement.
Members of the BiH Presidency also said they expect a positive opinion from the European Commission on BiH's application for EU membership and a positive political decision of the EU Council on awarding a candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2019.
Members of the Presidency, in a joint statement, also expressed their commitment for BiH to provide responses to additional questions from the European Commission by 31 December 2018, in the process of preparing an opinion on BiH's application for EU membership.
When it comes to other items on the agenda, the Presidency members also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina related to situation with migrants, and noted that some 23,000 migrants went through BiH, which is a significant number, and that some 3,500 to 4,000 remained in the country and have been provided accommodation.
Members of the Presidency agreed that these undocumented migrants should not be given asylum, and in order to more comprehensively examine the situation related to this issue, they stressed they needed more detailed information.
Today, the Presidency also touched upon several agreements, among them the agreement on energy efficiency that BiH should sign with some of the European institutions and banks.
They also discussed the appointment of a number of ambassadors of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the countries worldwide.
Chairman Dodik and the Presidency member Željko Komšić believe that a number of ambassadors would have to be resolved of their duty, so it was agreed to provide information on this issue in about seven days, as well as to prepare a proposal for appointment of those who are to replace them.
Members of the Presidency also agreed today to invite the presidents of the countries in the region in an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They concluded that no pardons should be granted to persons who participated in terrorist acts.
When asked about his insisting on the flag of RS, Dodik said that the two other members of the BiH Presidency rejected his proposal to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Presidency of BiH, but announced that he would bring up this issue through the state parliament.
Asked whether the establishment of the Ministry of European Integration and International Relations at the level of the entity of RS was unconstitutional, he responded that "the RS has an important role in the process of European integration, and more than 70 percent of the competences in the process."
(FENA) S. R.
