01.02.2012 PIC SB Ambassadors

Inzko Meets Dutch Foreign Minister and ICTY President and Chief Prosecutor

High Representative Valentin Inzko met today with Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal. During the meeting, the High Representative underlined that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s road to post-war recovery can be unblocked if the International Community continues to support positive political initiatives and to prevent moves to challenge the post-war settlement or undermine the state.

The High Representative thanked Foreign Minister Rosenthal for the enormous support that the Netherlands has given to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said countries that are actively helping BiH to emerge from its present difficulties should know that their role is invaluable and the prospects of success remain high.

Earlier in the day, the High Representative met with the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Theodor Meron and with ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz.

In addition to discussions on the work of the ICTY and BiH’s cooperation with the Tribunal, the High Representative also discussed recent challenges within BiH to the existence and jurisdiction of the BiH State Court and BiH Prosecutors Office.

“Any initiative to dismantle the State judiciary or to diminish its jurisdiction is a direct challenge to the ability of the state to implement its constitutional responsibilities,” he said. The BiH Court and Prosecutor’s Office are key state institutions for ensuring the rule of law in BiH.

The High Representative recalled today that the constitutionality of the Law on Court of BiH, and the jurisdiction of the Court, have already been challenged before the Constitutional Court of BiH, in 2001 and again in 2008. On both occasions, the BiH Constitutional Court confirmed that BiH, through the Court, has an obligation to implement its constitutional responsibilities. Their establishment was also a vital element in the ICTY’s closure strategy.