Meeting with Plenković: Krišto confirms Southern Interconnection becomes a priority project

(Patria) - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, who is on an official visit to Croatia.

He expressed a strong political will of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to continue improving good neighbourly relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina in political, economic, cultural and all other aspects.

- To help Bosnia and Herzegovina, after obtaining candidate status, meet the criteria on the agenda and create the prerequisites for the earliest possible opening of accession negotiations, because that is the most important segment of approaching the EU, said Prime Minister Plenković, adding that they would like Bosnia and Herzegovina to catch that connection as soon as possible and move forward on its European path.

He emphasised that they agreed to hold a joint session of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb in June, in order to put all topics in relations on the agenda and give an impetus to strengthening cooperation.

- We want to intensify cooperation in terms of transport. We also want our cooperation regarding the control of illegal migration to be improved. A very clear and firm position of the Republic of Croatia is that we neither want nor will we build physical barriers on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. We believe that, instead of building such obstacles that would affect the dynamics of relations between our peoples, we want to improve cooperation in preventing illegal migration and send a message of cooperation and openness, said Plenković.

Borjana Krišto thanked the Government and Plenković for the support they provide to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European and NATO path.

- This meeting is an expression of good relations and friendly and good neighbourly ties between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia. But also a friendly response to everything that Mr. Plenković and the Government of the Republic of Croatia do for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its European and NATO path. Now it is up to us to carry out reforms on that path, to meet the conditions expected of us, and the pace will depend on our internal political dialogue. The focus of all of us should be that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state of three constituent peoples and that we need to reach a political agreement on everything and achieve what is in the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its constituent peoples and citizens, said Krišto.

Election Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina

When asked by journalists whether there is a possibility to resolve the issue of the election law, Krišto said that it is primarily in the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that it should be in the interest of each of the constituent peoples.

- The Croatian people are not equal in terms of the legitimate election of political representatives in institutions, and we must do everything, and that should be the focus of interest, she emphasised.

- The issue of electoral system reform is an internal matter of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that is the fundamental position of the Republic of Croatia. However, as a country that is a neighbour, friend, partner, a country that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and helps Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path, we believe that the practice we have seen in the last five election cycles, when it comes to the election of the member of the Presidency, four times it happened that the representative and member of the Presidency from the ranks of the Croatian people was always elected by the other majority people in the Federation. We believe that this practice is not good, said Prime Minister Plenković.

They also discussed the Southern Interconnection. Plenković said that Croatia will help Bosnia and Herzegovina in the realisation of this project, and Krišto spoke about potential obstacles.

"I will insist on that, I am first among equals and there are competences. There are some open issues, but they are not contentious. I am convinced that all issues will be resolved over time. The Southern Interconnection is a priority issue, especially in this time of challenges. We must create the legal prerequisites for making the necessary decisions in the Council of Ministers. Before that, of course, we need to reach a political consensus. That is a priority for me and for the entire Council of Ministers," she concluded.