prijava
SARAJEVO, February 14 (FENA) - Ambassador of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nicola Minasi said that while chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2018, Italy will rely on three principles: dialogue, responsibility of the society and the responsibility of institutions.
He emphasized that the OSCE was founded with the aim of promoting dialogue between the East and West, and that this year Italy, while presiding the OSCE, will also add the North-South dimension, focusing on the Mediterranean and on the dialogue among civilizations.
Minasi also added that the Italian Embassy and the OSCE Mission, together with all other interested actors in the international community will encourage dialogue initiatives to highlight the experience and possibilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Society's responsibility is crucial for the sustainability of reforms and progress. Better society and public administration are only possible if people and local institutions have the same goals and actively work for them,” he underlined.
The Italian Presidency of the OSCE, added Minasi, wants to contribute to what the country needs to make in this respect, to use the new possibilities opened up the EU integration process.
“Together with the OSCE Mission to BiH, we will pay special attention to the challenges in the education sector for a more inclusive, more advanced education system that can equip young people with the skills to be successful in their growth, as well as help fight extremisms and discrimination,” said Minasi.
He stressed that society's responsibility also requires that people can trust local institutions and be able to hold them accountable.
Since 2018 is an election year in BiH, Minasi emphasized that it is very important that citizens and voters have awareness of how the election process works, as well as of their rights and duties.
“Together with civil society organizations, we will therefore hold a number of initiatives to build awareness about this important moment for Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Minasi.
Minasi also spoke about free media and free expression of opinion, stressing that they are key to maintaining a sense of belonging and a common interest for common institutions.
He announced the launch of a new initiative in the field of media freedom after organizing a round table on 24 January in Mostar to commemorate three Italian journalists killed in the town during the war.
Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH Bruce Berton emphasized the importance of a comprehensive OSCE approach to security, stressing that this is precisely why the OSCE exists, which is the security of people in a number of dimensions, which does not only mean military and personal security, but also human rights, the rule of law, education, media freedom, democratic governance, and economic and environmental security.
“A very important area of work on which the Mission will focus during 2018 is the fight against corruption, which includes a large number of institutions that currently form a rather complex institutional framework for tackling corruption,” said Berton.
He expressed satisfaction with the support of the Italian Government in the implementation of the project, which will contribute to the establishment of an effective anti-corruption system in BiH, with a clear division of roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders.
He also announced the visit of the OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger to BiH on 20 and 21 February.
In addition to other important meetings, Berton added that the Secretary-General will also present a preliminary report prepared by the Mission on a trial monitoring project they are conducting.
“The report provides very specific recommendations regarding weaknesses in processing corruption cases, in the legislative, jurisdictional and procedural sense, or simply in terms of the ability of judges and prosecutors,” he explained.
Berton also spoke about education, and said that the Mission will continue to work on reducing discrimination and promoting inclusive schools.
He added that the OSCE Mission to BiH is also working on the promotion of inter-religious dialogue and the cooperation with the Inter-religious Council of BiH, which brings together representatives of the Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish communities in order to promote religious tolerance.
(FENA) S. R.
