Members of the Collegiums of both Houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH talked to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece

 
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Greece are on very good and friendly political terms, therefore, on this basis, great efforts should be invested in improving economic co-operation between these two countries - This sentiment was emphasized during today’s meeting of the members of Collegiums of both Houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH with Mr Evangelos Venizelos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece.

Dr. Milorad Živković, Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), thanked a friendly Greece for their generous support to the reconstruction and development of democracy in BiH. Mr Živković briefed Venizelos on the current political climate and general situation in BiH and thanked him for his visit, which took place at a sensitive time given the on-going protests occurring in many parts of BiH. Mr Venizelos also holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Greece.

Dr. Božo Ljubić, Deputy Speaker of the HoR, added that the current crisis is the result of an inherited incoherent constitutional order. However, according to Mr. Ljubić, BiH is on the path of redefining itself, in the same way as the European Union is redefining itself through its stance on the situation in Greece, Croatia and Spain. The latter will demonstrate how credible the EU is as a future partner.

Dr. Denis Bećirović, Deputy Speaker of the HoR, stated that the best response to the destabilization of peace and stability in BiH is the unconditional activation of the MAP and the accelerated admission of BiH into NATO. According to Mr. Bećirović, this is a core issue not only for the stability of BiH and South-East Europe, but also for Europe as a whole. Because of this, it was unanimously adopted as a BiH foreign policy priority by the BiH Presidency.

Mr Staša Košarac, Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples (HoP), expressed his confidence today that the protests across BiH will subside and that the political powers will find a satisfactory solution through internal dialogue. Mr Košarac also stated his expectation that, within the next few days, the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH will resume its regular work and that the process of passing important laws will be unblocked. When it comes to the admission of BiH into NATO, Mr Košarac pointed out that although this is still an open question which lacks consensus, there is a willingness and a drive to enter into dialogue to reach a satisfying conclusion.

Minister Evangelos Venizelos, in thanking his hosts for the reception and the frank discussion, pointed out that he is aware that the European path of BiH is a factor in the internal cohesion and integrity of BiH. He added that the European Union should actively work on strengthening BiH’s European path and offered the Republic of Greece’s unconditional assistance as the current holder of the presidency of this European association. (end)