The Foreign Affairs Committee debate the persisting challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Chairman and members of the country’s tripartite Presidency, Željko Komšić, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović, Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Milorad Dodik, Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the Speaker of the country’s House of Peoples Dragan Čović.

Exchange of views with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina: extracts - AFET Committee

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair AFET, The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament is dealing with Bosnia Herzegovina for two days in a row because we are deeply concerned about the situation on the ground. This country is in its deepest crisis for years and we are calling on all sides, everyone who is responsible for politics in Bosnia-Herzegovina to return to the institutions and to stop undermining the functionality of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We and the European Union have a big interest in a stable, prosperous Balkans region, and Bosnia Herzegovina is one of the six Western Balkan countries with a European perspective. But we are concerned about the rising tensions between the groups. We are concerned about politicians who are fuelling ethno nationalistic tensions and are creating a further social divide in the country.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair AFET, We need to pay attention to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country is in a very difficult situation. We as a European Union want to give support, but we call on all responsible politicians, especially in the Republika Srpska, to play a constructive role, and we cannot accept the functioning of the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina being undermined. That's why the European Union has already reacted. We have put financial support, though, going through the Republika Srpska under strict conditions, and as long as they don't return to the state institutions, they will have to face the consequences.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair AFET, The elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina will take place in October, and the window to find a solution is eventually closing. I believe we have to find a solution on the electoral law reform. All sides need to compromise. In the end, we need a consensus amongst all politicians in Bosnia Herzegovina that the interests of all three constituent people in Bosnia Herzegovina are covered in a way that every side can actually accept this. That's why we call on all sides to continue the negotiations. But it is really now high time to find a solution&gt;

David McALLISTER, Chair AFET, welcoming the Bosnian Presidency outside the meeting room, 2 shots

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), &#381;eljko Kom&#353;i&#263;, Member of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Any further ethnic divide in Bosnia and Herzegovina insisting that Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional and legislative structure be based on final ethnic divisions will trigger ethnically based conflicts. Just to recall, the current and mostly ethnically based constitutional legal structure is a source of political conflicts best seen in the blockade of the state.

SOUNDBITE (Bosnian), &Scaron;efik Džaferović, Member of Presidency, Based on the judgments of the European Court we need to  remove discrimination from the constitution and electoral law. It is also necessary to adopt a package of electoral changes to make elections more transparent. At this time it is necessary to turn to fulfilling fourteen priorities the opinion of the European Commission I welcome in this regard the adoption of the law in the House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I would liek to join calls for Mr Dodik not to block these laws in the Second House of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We see the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens in the full membership of our country in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Serbian), Milorad Dodik, Member of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, No plan, no move is taken by the Republika Srpska in order to secede from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Republika Srpska wants to have its own constitutional position within Bosnia Herzegovina. That's not secession. It's not secession. In order to be able to have reforms, we have to change the Constitution. It hasn't been changed. So the reforms that have been applied are outside of the Constitution.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Dragan &#268;ovi&#263;, Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The demographic supremacy of a nation in this case of Bosniaks cannot diminish the principle of equality of the constituent peoples that we all agreed on. To make peace, therefore, parity among the three constituent peoples must be reflected in all institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Exchange of views with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina: extracts - AFET Committee

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AFET - Committee on Foreign Affairs