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SARAJEVO, June 21 (FENA) - BiH Presidency Member Željko Komšić called the non-adoption of the First Annual National Plan (ANP) by political representatives from the Republika Srpska completely unnecessary because nine years ago BiH was in a conditioned Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Interviewer: Hana Imamović
Explaining in an interview with FENA what this document means, he stressed that the Tallinn condition was abolished in December last year and now the ANP is being requested from BiH, and Komšić believes that there is insufficient understanding of what that means.
He understands, he says, the policy of RS political representatives and the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) whose leader is BiH Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik. They do not want BiH to join NATO, but someone else will decide whether BiH is ready for that membership in one year, five or 50.
Since this issue is related to the appointment of the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Zoran Tegeltija (SNSD), Komšić explained that those who want him in that position say they will not implement what has been adopted or will not enforce the law.
“It begs the question as to how to give the person, who publically says they he will not abide by the laws, that position of power. Tegeltija said he will not implement the previously adopted decisions of the BiH Presidency. This is not in favor of anyone, the situation is totally pointless,” said Komšić.
Komšić also talked about the last published European Commission Report, saying that the Commission clearly requested BiH to meet the European Union standards in order for the country to be able to obtain candidacy status and start negotiations.
Without fulfilling the request, BiH will not be able to progress towards membership in the European Union, and Komšić points out that if some politicians thought that EU officials will turn a blind eye then the problem is within the state itself, and not Brussels.
However, it is believed that in relations between the EU and the Western Balkan countries in general, there is another matter that little attention is paid to, which is the neglect of geostrategic facts, whether Europe wants to include within itself this part of the world or whether it will be left to it by other influences such as the influence of Russia or the East.
Asked if BiH had the opportunity to choose between the EU or NATO, Komšić responds that BiH needs both, and that it wants BiH to have the same status as Croatia, but thinks the country is closer to NATO membership because it is more difficult to fulfill EU requirements.
Also, he believes that NATO is psychologically more necessary because it will dispel fear of conflict in BiH. When a country becomes a NATO member, Komšić adds, this means that there will no longer be a chance of war in BiH.
One of the items on the agenda of the latest BiH Presidency session was the issue of migration, and Komšić reiterated that the Council of Ministers was looking for a plan on the protection of BiH's interests in the migrant crisis.
“This issue cannot be resolved by the Presidency. The Council of Ministers has to resolve it, and we can only show interest in this situation and propose initiatives that one can accept or not. Such was the question of the involvement of unarmed members of the Armed Forces of BiH, because it is constantly stressed that there are missing people who would protect the border where migrants illegally enter BiH, but that is not accepted,” he stressed.
One of the proposals which was agreed upon by the BiH Presidency members was presented during a conversation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić when a joint team of Serbian and BiH forces will be formed. They will act as security services that will cut off illegal migration channels controlled by illegal groups.
There were also talks about the engagement of EU police forces (FRONTEX), but this can happen only at the border with the EU, which in this case is the border with Croatia.
Komšić also referred to the issue of amendments to the Election Law and the fact that this was in some way conditioned by the appointment of a new Government of the Federation of BiH, saying that this issue would be somewhat solved by the proposed law on electoral units.
At the end of the interview, BiH Presidency Member Željko Komšić said that many things are up to BiH and that politicians must resolve issues of security, stability, progress and rule of law. Many of these things can be brought by NATO and the EU, and the rules by which they abide should be implemented in BiH.
(FENA) L. N.
