Mogherini and Hahn Set Tasks for BiH Leaders: We Will Return to See if You Fulfill Them!

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn clearly told the leaders of BiH parties at today's meeting that they are not interested in the past and what has happened so far, that they are new representatives of the EU, and that they want to hear from BiH leaders if they have a program that will move this country forward more strongly on the European path, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

At the previously held meeting, Mogherini and Hahn tasked the members of the BiH Presidency, Mladen Ivanić, Bakir Izetbegović, and Dragan Čović, with issuing instructions to party leaders for the drafting of a declaration on BiH's commitment to European integration, and they set a deadline for its adoption in the BiH Parliament by February of next year, Patria has learned.

The EU representatives thereby made it clear to the BiH leaders that there is a new policy from Brussels, which translates to all processes needing to take place within institutions, not at informal gatherings of party leaders as was done until now.

The order of European tasks facing BiH has now changed, with Mogherini and Hahn emphasizing that the priority is resolving socio-economic issues important to the citizens of this country, followed by difficult political issues such as the implementation of the "Sejdić-Finci" ruling and the coordination mechanism.

Furthermore, Hahn stressed that IPA funds will be unfrozen and the budget increased only if the authorities demonstrate concrete readiness to fulfill European tasks.

Mogherini and Hahn will submit a report on today's meeting in the capital of BiH to the EU foreign ministers on December 12th of this year, and they also announced a new visit to BiH to see firsthand whether the leaders are working on fulfilling the conditions for our country's approximation to the EU.

ZLATKO'S SHOW PROGRAM

Zlatko Lagumdžija, who is the president of SDP for only 24 more hours, used his last chance and performed a showpiece for the high-ranking Brussels officials. Namely, he took on the role as if he were in charge, tried to set the pace of the meeting, and lectured the high-ranking Brussels officials on what they should demand from the new BiH authorities. In addition, Lagumdžija, knowing he only had today left, lashed out at Bakir Izetbegović and Željko Komšić. However, judging by the clear messages sent by Mogherini and Hahn, his show did not leave any impression on them.

DODIK AND HAHN ONE-ON-ONE

Before the official joint meeting with BiH leaders, Hahn spoke privately with the leader of SNSD, Milorad Dodik. After that, during the joint meeting, Dodik presented his documentation, attempting to prove to the Brussels officials that the sole obstacle to all integration processes so far had been the Deputy President of SDA, Bakir Izetbegović. Izetbegović left the meeting and did not address reporters.