Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the PABiH, Dr. Dragan Čović, met in Zagreb with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia

“The Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) Dr Dragan Čović and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković held a meeting today in Banski dvori in Zagreb. They discussed all the processes that follow the confirmation of the appointment of new convocation of the Council of Ministers of BiH and further reform processes after the acquisition of the candidate status of BiH.

The interlocutors emphasised that the election of Borjana Krišto as the Chair of the BiH Council of Ministers is an opportunity elevate bilateral relations between Croatia and BiH to an even higher level in the next period. They spoke of co-operation related to the joint infrastructure projects, strengthening of bilateral trade, commercial and economic relations, as well as the sharing of Croatia's experiences in the process of accession and full membership in the European Union (EU).

Dr. Čović pointed out that the new government at the state level and its partners must complete the process of agreement on key political issues. It was concluded that the political dialogue of the representatives of all three constituent peoples has no alternative in reaching an agreement on the BiH Electoral Law, which would give momentum to the consolidation of internal relations and the creation of a positive atmosphere for all much-needed reforms in the business, economic and technological aspects. He thanked Prime Minister Plenković for all the efforts he made to help the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for the crucial contribution in obtaining candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina’s status for EU membership.

Prime Minister Plenković emphasised the need for the urgent formation of government at all levels in BiH, especially in the Federation of BiH, in order to ensure the functionality of all institutions and the state. He emphasised that political representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina should open the subject of electoral legislation reform as soon as possible in order to ensure the full equality of all three constituent peoples, especially the Croats as the smallest in number. He added that he expects high-quality and efficient cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on a number of topics that connect Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He announced that he will discuss the issue soon in Zagreb with Borjana Krišto, the Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during her official visit to Croatia." (Statement from the Cabinet of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples, Dr Dragan Čović)