Schmidt wrote to the BiH Parliament: Law on state and military property needed

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Christian Schmidt, the High Representative in BiH, today sent a letter to the collegiums of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, in which he called for the formation of an expert group that should work on creating a law on state and military property.

"The primary focus of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the implementation of the 5+2 Agenda, the fulfillment of which is necessary for the country to exit international supervision. In this context, priorities are resolving the issue of state and military property," Schmidt stated.

Schmidt added that the complexity of the issue justifies the formation of an expert group that will work on drafting an acceptable and sustainable resolution regarding state and military property.

"In this regard, the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH has an important role. Therefore, I invite you to take control of this process, which should result in the adoption of a law at the state level regulating this issue," the letter reads.

As stated in Schmidt's letter, the expert group that will work on drafting the law on state and military property should consist of parliamentarians, as well as representatives of relevant institutions at the state and entity levels.

Also, Schmidt stated that the expert group should consist of domestic and foreign independent experts, which should include representatives of the European Union.

"My office will actively participate and support this effort, including legal and expert advice. The OHR will provide the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a list of institutions from the state and entities, as well as relevant independent experts," said Schmidt.

In the conclusion of the letter, Schmidt emphasized the necessity of urgently convening a meeting of the working group.

"I expect the Parliament to convene a meeting of the working group as soon as possible. My office is at your disposal for any questions and further discussion on the way forward," concluded Schmidt in his letter.