Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 135th Session

TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE ROMA LANGUAGE, HISTORY AND CULTURE IN BIH 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information by the Ministry for Human Rights and refugees on results of a research on reasons for non-implementation of Aim 3 - “Preserving and Promotion of Roma Language, History and Culture” - under the Revised Action Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Education Needs of Roma.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will launch activities for developing a new framework action plan on education needs of the Roma for the aim of preserving their language, culture, history and tradition of the Roma, and which would have unique standards for all competent Ministries.

This conclusion resulted from a research conducted by the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees concerning non-implementation of the aim relating to preserving Roma language, culture and history, which research included four Cantonal Ministries of Education and the responsible Ministry in Republika Srpska, in addition to Education Department of the Brčko District of BIH.

The research showed that the Roma language is not thought in schools, primary or secondary ones, as a mother tongue or facultative subject, and the reasons for that were indicated to be, among other things, unavailability of professional literature, lack of finances and insufficient interest for learning the Roma language.

 

BOOSTING EXPORT AND IMPROVEMING COMPETITIVENESS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN BIH

 

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BIH Mirko Šarović will sign a Special Agreement with the Swedish Agency for Development and Cooperation (SIDA) for the needs of implementation of a special project titled “Boosting Export Potential and Improving Competitiveness of BIH Agricultural Producers”.

This will enable the Veterinary Office of BIH to continue its activities on vaccination of small ruminants against brucellosis in 2018 for the sake of health protection in BIH. In addition, brucellosis control in our country is extremely important both for the reason of protection of domestic production and for continuation of smooth export of milk and dairy products to the EU market.

SIDA secured SEK 9.5 million worth donation for the project implementation in 2018.

The Special Agreement is a follow-up of an earlier concluded Agreement between the Kingdom of Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

STATE AWARD TO SPORT TO BOGDAN TANJEVIĆ

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision, proposed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, to present the Bosnia and Herzegovina State Award for Sport for year 2017 to Bogdan Tanjević, basketball player and coach, for his extraordinary contribution to development of sport and affirmation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The State Award for Sport is the highest recognition which Bosnia and Herzegovina awards for extraordinary successful work in sports.

 

EQUIPMENT NAD CAPACITATING CIVIL PROTECTION FAGAISNT FLOODS: UNIT SET-UP TO FOLLOW

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information by the Ministry of Security on realisation of Assistance Programme for Prevention, Readiness and Response to Floods in the Western Balkan states, Albania, and Turkey – IPA FLOODS.

The Ministry of Security will, in accordance with the Framework Law on Protection and Rescue of People and Material Goods from Natural and Other Disasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, take activities to set-up a joint specialised unit for protection and rescue. Competent civil protection bodies and Governments of the Federation of BIH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District of BIH were recommended to support these activities.

Information indicates that process of procurement of equipment and capacitation was finalised with help of EU IPA funds for three modules of civil protection: rescue on water (FRB) with participation of the federation of BIH civil protection; protection from floods by high capacity pumps (HCP) with participation of Republic Administration of civil Protection of Republika Srpska, and defence from flood wave by barriers (FC) with participation of the Brčko District Public Security Department.

 

TO CONSIDER RECEIVED SUGGESTIONS

 

The Council of Ministers will reflect on a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Financing Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the Ministry of Finance and Treasury considers written suggestions sent by the Office of Chairman, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, and Legislative Office of the Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, records form the Second Meeting of the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Accession Council, held in Brussels on July 10, 2017.

Conclusions form the meeting commended efforts of Bosnia and Herzegovina for further advancing towards the European Union. The EU Council urged BIH to continue and intensify efforts to secure an effective Reform agenda implementation for the benefit of citizens of BIH.

The meeting was chaired over by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, and BIH Delegation was led by Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Denis Zvizdić.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Mirko Šarović, Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak, and EC Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson.

 

PROLONGED DEADLINES

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement on Amendments and Supplements to  Dec. 16, 2013 Loan and Project Agreement between KfW, Frankfurt am Main, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (Borrower), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Power Utility of Bosnia and Herzegovina, JSC Sarajevo (EPBIH) (Project Implementation Unit), in amount of EUR 65,000,000.00 for the Windmill “Podveležje” Project, with basics for its conclusion.

The Amendments and Supplements prolong the deadline for withdrawal of loan proceeds to December 31, 2019, thus the deadline for beginning of loan servicing was prolonged for three years, i.e. by March 30, 2020. Also, September 30, 2030 was set as a terminal date of loan payment.

The prolongation of deadlines was requested by the Federal Ministry of Finance, upon an initiative by the Public Power Utility of BIH, JSC Sarajevo.

The Proposal Agreement will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Minister of Finance and Treasury was proposed for the BIH signatory.

 

UNSC RESOLUTION ON SANCTIONS TO NORTH KOERA

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the UNSC resolution 2397 on sanctions to North Korea, of December 22, 2017.

All institutions under the Council of Ministers of BIH and all levels of authority of BIH are responsible to obligatory application of the stipulations UNSCR on sanctions to North Korea.

The resolution 2397 is a follow-up to earlier UNCS resolutions, and it introduces new sanctions to North Korea, which decrease power supply, bans export in key sectors and set-up new obligations and authorisations for the sake of stopping smuggling from North Korea.

All member-countries of UN are called upon under the resolution to fully implement all UNSC resolutions.

 

TO DRAFT AGREEEMNT ON RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

 

The Council of Ministers took note of Information of the Prosecutor’s Office fo BIH on an arbitrage proceeding upon a claim by Neeta Gupta, Naveena Aggarwalla and Usha Industries against Bosnia and Herzegovina, for indemnification concerning the claimants investment to “Krajina Osiguranje”, JSC Banja Luka.

The prosecutor’s Office should cooperate with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic relations and legislative Office of the Council of Ministers of BIH in order to start negotiations with competent bodies of Republika Srpska, and prepare a text agreement on mutual rights and obligations of the Council of Ministers of BIH and Government of Republika Srpska in managing the arbitrage procedure in this case, and which will be forwarded to the Council of Ministers of BIH for approval and authorisation for signing.

The prosecutor’s Office will in this arbitrage procedure take all needed actions to protect property and property-related interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is about a dispute worth USD 40 million in which claimants Neete Gupta, Naveen Aggarwall and Usha Industries Company from New Delhi claim they were misled on buying the Krajina Osiguranje securities.

 

 

ACTION PLAN FOR FLOOD PROTECTION AND RIVER MANAGEMENT IN BIH TO BE IMPLEMENTED TO 2021

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Report of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic relations on activities implemented for realisation of a 2014-2017 Flood Protection and River Management Actin Plan in Bosnia and Herzegovina for June 2016-June 2017, and took several conclusions in order to secure its full implementation.

The Action Plan validity was prolonged to 2021, when the adoption of plans for aquifers managing in BIH, including flood risk management throughout BIH, was scheduled for the second plan cycle,

The report provides a review of realised activities in implementation of six key measures and more than 20 sub-measures in water sector in BIH. The key measures refer to, among other things, rehabilitation form damages made from floods and landslides in 2014, and harmonisation of BIH flood protection system with EU Directive on flood risks assessment. Also, these measures are directed to the establishment of a hydrologic forecast system in BIH and building-up capacities of institutions responsible for water management and flood protection in BIH.

 

EGYPT CITIZENS VOTE IN BIH

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent for vote by citizens of the Arab Republic of Egypt on March 16-18, 2018 and possible holding of the second cycle of voting on April 19-21, 2018 at 9.00-21.00, in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balloting at the presidential elections in the Arab Republic of Egypt will be held in the premises of the Embassy of Egypt in Sarajevo.

 

APPOINTED MANAGEMENT OF AGENCY FOR DRUGS AND MEDICAL APPLIENCES OF BIH

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Aleksandar Zolak for Manager and Dinka Muhović for Deputy Manager of the Agency for Drugs and Medical Appliances of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the best ranked candidates at the public job vacancy procedure.

Also, an Expert Council of the Agency for Drugs and Medical Appliances of BIH was appointed for a four-year term, as the previous Council members’ term expired in 2012. The appointment was made based upon proposals by the Entity Ministries of Health and competent body of the Brčko District of BIH, and the Expert Council is comprised of the following members: Harun Avdagić, Branko Nikolić, Vedran Marčinko, Vanda Marković-Perković, Lazar Prodanović, Slobodan Prtilo, and Admir Alagić.

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