Deputy Chair of the PABiH Delegation to PD CEI Predrag Kožul participated in the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee of PD CEI in Tirana

Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) and Deputy Chair of the PABiH Delegation in the Parliamentary Dimension of the Central European Initiative (PD CEI) Predrag Kožul participated in the meeting of the PD CEI Parliamentary Committee in Tirana.

At the meeting, which was attended by the parliamentary delegations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine, opinions and positions were exchanged on the role of parliaments in supervision executive authorities and in the process of European integration.

The participants of the meeting also adopted a Joint Statement in which they confirmed the role of CEI as an efficient and important forum for regional cooperation based on the basic values ​​shared by CEI and the European Union (EU).

Regional cooperation within the CEI is recognized as important for achieving progress in the EU enlargement process. In this regard, the Joint Statement emphasizes the importance of ongoing cooperation between EU member states and candidate states for EU membership.

The Joint Statement warns that international conflicts between states cause dramatic damage not only to peace and security, but also to the international order, and provides unequivocal support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states within their internationally recognized borders, as well as their right to self-defence in  accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The importance of strengthening the role of the parliament is emphasized as key to preserving the democratic principles of representation and participation of civil society and the public, and it emphasizes the importance of constant supervision of the executive power, as well as responsibility for public spending and monitoring of public institutions.

The participants of the meeting of the PD CEI Parliamentary Committee in Tirana expressed their common position that the path of European integration is the only path to democratic standards, preservation of European values ​​and common progress in peace and stability. In this regard, as emphasized in the Joint Statement, all member states are encouraged to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of CEI through meetings in Brussels with the aim of establishing cooperation with EU institutions, especially the European Parliament. (end)