Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik met today with EU Delegation Charge d’Affairs Renzo Daviddi, UK ambassador Edward Ferguson, and German ambassador Christian Hellbach, to discuss the RS government’s objections to the BiH Presidency’s recently-circulated draft document concerning the EU initiative for BiH. Under the EU’s new plan, which was conceived by the UK and Germany, BiH leaders will have to make a written commitment to undertake certain reforms before the EU can release new funds. The BiH Presidency last month agreed on a draft of such a commitment, but did so without input from BiH political leaders.
President Dodik explained today that the RS supports the EU initiative, but does not agree with the Presidency’s approach to the required commitment.
During a meeting with Charge d’affairs of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Renzo Daviddi, Dodik expressed the view that the EU draft on pro-European reforms should clearly contain a stance on the observance of the Constitution based on the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as clearly defined competences, obligations and responsibilities in the process of the implementation of these reforms, which mostly are under entities’ competences, and none of this is contained in the Presidency’s statement.
Speaking to press today, RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic explained that all of the subjects covered in the Presidency’s draft are in fact competencies of the entities and cantons under the BiH constitution, and thus are not within the Presidency’s jurisdiction.
“We wanted certain explanations, and the Republika Srpska President together with the Senate brought a conclusion that [the Chairman of the BiH Presidency] Mladen Ivanic be called to explain to political parties why an opposite direction was taken, why opinions of political leaders and parties were not heard and why the existing positions of official Republika Srpska institutions were not taken into account,” Cvijanovic told reporters in Brcko.
She reiterated her position that BiH can send a positive message, express its good will and encourage institutions and political subjects in the country to tackle the issue of European integration, but that BiH simply has no jurisdiction to take any steps. “This is the essence of our letters and warnings,” Cvijanovic said.
