Sattler asks Izetbegović, Čović and Špirić to give maximum contribution to establishment of government in BiH

(Patria) - Members of the Collegium of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, House Speaker Bakir Izetbegović and his deputies Dragan Čović and Nikola Špirić received today the newly appointed Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Johann Sattler.

During the talks, it was jointly assessed that for Bosnia and Herzegovina it is very important to form and operate the executive and legislative authorities at all levels based on the 2018 General Elections. The members of the Collegium of the House of Peoples informed Ambassador Sattler about different views on the causes of the delay in forming the Council of Ministers of BiH and parliamentary bodies. However, hope was expressed that the current differences will soon be resolved through constructive dialogue and compromise among the winning parties in order to unlock stalled and accelerate slow reform processes.

Several aspects were highlighted as to why, a year after the elections, fast, quality and compromise-based solutions are essential, from achieving the necessary representativeness and legitimacy in government bodies, in accordance with constitutional principles and the rule of law. Primarily through opening and resolving numerous socio-economic issues and creating an environment that will be inspiring for young people to stay, rather than leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, then through amendments to electoral legislation, activating approximately one billion euros in funds available for development projects in our country, which can move the entire society forward.

Regarding the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was jointly assessed that a favorable circumstance is that it enjoys the trust of the vast majority of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the talks, it was emphasized that conditions should be created for the development of an action plan for the implementation of the priorities from the European Commission Opinion, and this, as Ambassador Sattler said, also implies that after four years of stagnation, the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilisation and Association should function as a joint forum for exchanging views between members of the European Parliament and the legislative authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Finally, announcing his own intensive engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler asked the members of the Collegium of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to also give their maximum personal contribution in order to find compromise solutions that will result in the establishment and efficient operation of government bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.