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SARAJEVO, February 18 (FENA) - Members of the Joint Committee on Defense and Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina today discussed but did not support the initiative of an MP Predrag Kojović (Our Party) in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, which tasks the BiH Council of Ministers to analyze the permeability of the BiH border and the BiH Border Police equipment to better control the state border.
The initiative was not supported because no Croat member of the Joint Committee voted for it.
On behalf of the proponent, MP Damir Arnaut explained the initiative and recalled that it was submitted in August last year. He said it is never too late "to get information about the state border of BiH and the border police equipment for better control of the BiH border".
Arnaut believes that this information is necessary for the BiH Parliamentary Assembly and that MPs have it when it comes to reviewing the budget for BiH institutions.
“I am sure that the deputies and delegates will be guided by the information we receive from the competent structures, especially if we receive them on time, or before the adoption of the budget for 2020, so that certain provisions can be incorporated, based on what we get when such information are in question,” Arnaut said.
Member of the Joint Committee Marina Pendeš (HDZBiH) said that the initiative may have been delayed.
“I am not ready to support this initiative because we already have Council of Ministers of BiH, because there is BiH Ministry of Security, because the Minister of Security had meetings with the Border Police, the BiH Council of Ministers adopted action plans to be implemented and based on all this I think this initiative is redundant and I am not ready to support it,” Pendeš explained.
Member of the Joint Committee Dragan Mektić (SDS) said that he assumed the initiative was about analyzing the permeability of the border, especially in the context of illegal migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not only BiH, that is global migration.
“Finding who is guilty here, and trying to direct this whole situation, channeling it to any agency is pointless. We need to ask how is it possible for illegal migrants from Pakistan to reach BiH, the last country to join the European Union and why we have this problem that we have,” said Mektić.
He added that "we need to be aware that the largest number of illegal migrants we get is from EU Member States, especially Greece and Bulgaria."
“We are the victim of global migration here,” Mektić said.
He added that he would support the proposed initiative and said that neither the Joint Committee nor the BiH Parliament had "done anything clever or useful to strengthen and empower these agencies to better protect the border".
Joint Committee Member Zukan Helez (SDPBiH) said the initiative was very good and should have been considered earlier.
“I am surprised a bit that we have focused on only one segment that is now a top subject, namely migrants and the migrant crisis. One of the routes for illicit drug trafficking, which runs across these areas and especially our eastern border, is at the stake of people involved in this kind of crime and illegal trade. Then, various high-tariff goods that enter BiH and when they enter this area they are hard to find, and adequately punish, then just simply stop at the border,” said Helez, adding that he would support the initiative.
On behalf of the proponents of the initiative, MP Damir Arnaut clarified that no one intended to blame anyone.
“On the contrary, we, as parliament, request from the executive power to tell us exactly what problems they are facing, what can be improved and perhaps most importantly how we, as a parliament, can help them – if it is through budget, possible legal amendments, etc.,” explained Arnaut.
The Committee supported, inter alia, the Decision on the participation of the BiH police forces in the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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