Minister Špirić Talks with European Parliament Delegation



Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH and Minister of Finance and Treasury dr. Nikola Špirić talked today with a Delegation of the European Parliament, led by Chairman Eduard Kukan.

Minister Špirić informed European Parliamentarians of the current political and economic situation in BIH, and stressed that the Council of Ministers of BIH will consider the Draft Budget for 2013, as soon as next week.

The Minister of Finance an Treasury reminded that necessary funds were budgeted for the Census of Population in BIH, as well as for other projects and institutions relevant for BiH’s way towards the EU.

The meeting agreed that there is unfinished job ahead of BIH in terms of the implementation of the Sejdić-Finci award of the European Court for Human Rights.

Minister Špirić underlined that this case could be solved if it were solely the implementation of the award, not an attempt of thorough constitutional reform.

“Dervo Sejdić and Jakob Finci, who applied to the European Court for Human Rights, only were invited to consultations to Banjaluka, when they said that the solution offered by Republika Srpska suits them. The problem is obviously that the battle for equality of constitutional peoples unfolds in the Federation of BIH, and ‘otehrs’ have to wait for their turn”, Špirić assessed.

Minister Špirić believes that this and other contentious issues in BIH might be only solved by a dialogue to foster internal confidence and approximate differing views to BIH future. In that regard he underlined the establishment of a coordination mechanism between BIH and Entities for the Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), mentioning that the road to the EU is an entitlement of all, from local communities to BIH-level institutions.

Kukan expressed his regret for BIH is lagging behind on the European road, and highlighted that the lost time might be made-up only if there is an internal consensus and decidedness for reform implementation leading to the EU.

The Delegation of the European Parliament, that included also Tanja Falon and Doris Pack, assessed their support as undisputable, but that the progress towards the EU can be only  ensured by BIH authorities themselves.

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