MOSTAR Meeting Not Fruitful, Open Issues Remain Regarding Growth Plan

(Patria) - A cordial atmosphere and no unified stance on all issues – this is a one-sentence summary of the outcome of the meeting of leaders of parties forming the state-level coalition.

HDZ leader Dragan Čović said that eight items were on the agenda of today's meeting of partners in power at the BiH level.

Čović said that many issues were put on the agenda, but that there is still a lot of work to be done, especially regarding issues related to BiH's European path.

He stated that the first item was the Personal Data Protection Law and that it was agreed that nuances would be defined by Wednesday so that the Council of Ministers session could be held by the end of the week, followed by the Parliamentary Assembly.
Čović said that the second item was the Growth Plan and that there were still open issues there.

- The third item was the appointment of the chief negotiator and two deputies. A decision has been harmonized based on which we will appoint the chief negotiator and his two deputies - said Čović.

He stated that further discussions were held on the integration program, but that the appointment of the IPA program coordinator was not agreed upon.

Čović said that one of the items was the BiH budget for 2025 and that it was agreed that the Minister of Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers would prepare a basis for agreement.

The Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH and leader of the SDP, Nermin Nikšić, spoke after the meeting of political representatives at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- Mostly, Dragan gave precise explanations on all the matters we discussed within the agenda, regarding how we will resolve them in the period ahead. The fact is that the atmosphere of agreement and discussion has returned, that we are maintaining that rhythm, which I consider very important, even when we don't agree on all the things we think can and should be agreed upon - said Nermin Nikšić, adding:

- The period ahead, the period until the end of the year, by which time we want to show the EU that we are making progress again that would qualify us for opening negotiations. Qualify us in the sense that, as the government in BiH, we strive to fulfill all conditions and be a credible partner.

The SDP leader said that it is very important to adopt the framework budgets for the next and the following three years.

- It is very important for us, especially for Višković and me, from the position of entity prime ministers, to adopt the framework budget for the next and the following three years, so that we can also count on what the obligations and possibilities of the entity budgets are.

We will continue to contribute in this atmosphere. Every success, every plus we achieve further motivates us to agree and discuss even more in the period ahead - emphasized Nikšić.

SNSD Vice-President Radovan Višković emphasized, after the meeting of partners in power at the BiH level, that SNSD proposed a conclusion requesting that those in power at the BiH level, from the moment BiH receives a date for negotiations, cannot impose any solutions, except through institutions provided for by the Constitution, but that this conclusion was not acceptable to the partners.

Višković said that the first item on today's meeting of partners in power at the BiH level in Mostar was the imposed decisions of the OHR, but that it was not discussed.

- I no longer have any doubt that whenever partners show the desire and intention regarding open issues for the European path, someone always spoils it and interferes and makes decisions that only BiH institutions can make. I think this is deliberately against BiH. Whether someone is interested in BiH moving quickly towards the European path or not - Višković asked.

Regarding other agenda items, Višković added that 98 percent of issues have been harmonized regarding the Personal Data Protection Law.

Commenting on the Growth Plan, Višković said that Republika Srpska has stated that all 113 priorities are acceptable, but that in the meantime, one more has been added, which was not subject to consideration, and that is the abolition of the visa-free regime for certain countries.

He added that the EU has submitted a proposal for three measures that were not harmonized in the Growth Plan.

- Regarding state aid, the formulation is now easier, which does not refer to entity voting, which is not a problem for us. However, regarding the Constitutional Court of BiH, there are three steps, and the first states how all vacant positions should be filled by July next year, then by December, but what we object to is that a roadmap is mentioned related to resolving the status of foreigners in the Constitutional Court. We want it to be clearly stated that a new law should be adopted to resolve the issue of foreign judges. Simultaneously, the implementation of Constitutional Court decisions is underway, where it is requested that 70 percent of decisions be implemented by the end of 2026, said Višković.