The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, met yesterday in Sarajevo with Mirko Pejanovic, President of the Serb Civic Council (SCC). The discussion focused on the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court's decision on the constituency of BiH's peoples, return, and the recent threats against members of the SCC and their families.

The High Representative informed Professor Pejanovic about current progress in developing far-reaching, comprehensive and creative solutions to the process of reforming the Entity constitutions. The President of the SCC expressed his support for the High Representative's efforts to find such solutions, adding that the conclusion of this process must fulfil the essence of the Constitutional Court's decision - an issue as important to Serbs in the Federation of BiH as it is to Bosniaks and Croats in the RS.

Both the High Representative and Professor Pejanovic agreed that this process is vital to the success of return, giving actual and potential returnees security through institutional guarantees of full representation and protection. Professor Pejanovic noted that much of the success that has been achieved to date in return has been due to the efforts of the High Representative.

The High Representative expressed his full support and solidarity, on behalf of the whole International Community, to Professor Pejanovic and the SCC, following the threats received by members of the Serb community in the Federation in recent days. The High Representative called for a full investigation by the authorities stating that "this kind of extremism has no place in a democratic, multi-ethnic society ruled by law".