Yesterday EU Special Representative Lars-Gunnar Wigemark brought together the leaders of BiH, Republika Srpska, and the Federation, along with SDA party chair Bakir Izetbegovic, for a final attempt to prevent the collapse of a deal with the IMF, and address other outstanding issues. The meeting was reportedly a success; with Izetbegovic’s blessing, BiH Council of Ministers chair Denis Zvizdic and FBiH prime minister Fadil Novalic signed off on the IMF deal. They had, until yesterday, withheld their signatures in order to pressure RS into yielding on unrelated issues.
The parties also reached a near-final agreement on the form and operating procedures for the coordination mechanism that will manage BiH’s EU accession process. Earlier this year, the Council of Ministers secretly approved a version of the mechanism without seeking RS’s approval. The parties also made progress on a BiH-wide transportation strategy, which is another EU requirement.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, RS President Dodik said that all aspects of the meeting had gone well, and that the RS government would review the draft transportation strategy in the coming days.
Bosnian Presidency chair Izetbegovic said the meeting had resolved the most contentious matters.
“Today we solved all the questions that will open Bosnia’s path to the EU and also to the IMF arrangement. This was a good meeting, which is definitely an introduction to all future questions,” he said.“I wish to emphasize gratitude to Izetbegovic and Dodik and other members of the two delegations for their willingness to agree on matters related to the continuation of the European path. They showed statesmanlike maturity,” Wigemark said….
However, Bosnian Croat leader Dragan Covic, who was not present at the meeting, sounded a more cautious note, welcoming the signing of the IMF letter but still expressing concerns about the Coordinating Mechanism.
