Reform Agenda adoption deadline by end of September: Košarac says there is still time, denies 'Russian intervention'

(Patria) - The European Union will not give up, they will surely punish us, said Edin Forto (Our Party), Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after SNSD minister Staša Košarac voted against the Reform Agenda at today's session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus rejecting it.

"The EU will not give up, they will surely punish us. If we get a new deadline, it will certainly be less money," said Forto, adding that "there is a chance that in the coming days, possibly at a telephone session," ministers from SNSD might declare they are in favor.

Forto said he had left the session of the Council of Ministers of BiH earlier due to obligations, but found time to give statements because, as he said, it is unbelievable to him as a minister that someone is against such a package, and then added that it is not unbelievable to him that SNSD is against it.

"The only reason is that they do not want progress for BiH, but this is not just about hindering progress, you are essentially holding hostage all citizens who could have received concrete help from what is listed in the Reform Plan. SNSD's policy can no longer be explained in any way other than that everyone is working for one man (Milorad Dodik) who wants to have his sanctions lifted. He is fighting for his personal sanctions, and when he spends citizens' money, he lobbies, not seeking a better status for RS but for his sanctions to be lifted," Forto added.

When asked about the appointment of the Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), which was on the agenda of today's session of the Council of Ministers, Forto replied that SIPA is a challenge that needs to be resolved as a package.

"That is the position of those of us who voted against the appointment of only the deputy," Forto added.

Elmedin Konaković (NiP), Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, said that the security sector needs to be completely regulated. He also said that they had objections to the work of the Independent Board.

According to the information we received, Staša Košarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, was also against the appointment of the Deputy Director of SIPA.

After the Council of Ministers of BiH, Košarac stated that "there are no red phones".

"There are no interventions from the Russian Federation. There is no influence of the Russian Federation here," said Košarac.

He stated that the Reform Agenda does not consist of grant funds but also loan funds.

"There are steps to be fulfilled. Someone here is creating their own hype, that someone will give us something just because we adopt something. And even if the Reform Agenda were adopted today, it does not mean that Brussels will not make some correction. We want to ensure the visibility of the institutions of Republika Srpska. We still have time. Ask the cantonal prime ministers if they are satisfied with this document," said Košarac.