The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, held talks today with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel during his visit to Sarajevo.

The High Representative informed Mr Rupel about the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the present status of implementing the Constitutional Court’s Decision on the Constituency of Peoples in BiH. Implementation, now at a crucial phase, will define the degree to which BiH politicians can show maturity and demonstrate a capacity to take ownership of the challenges facing the country, the High Representative said. The two officials noted that accession to the Council of Europe is a significant step towards integration, but brings with it corresponding commitments on the side of BiH.

The High Representative praised the Ljubljana based International Trust Fund, which plays such a crucial role in the demining efforts in BiH. Foreign Minister Rupel agreed that the Donor Community expects the swift adoption of the BiH demining law by the BiH parliamentary assembly as well as substantial and visible progress thereafter.

The High Representative stressed the positive role of Slovenia with regard to the development of the whole region. When it becomes the first country of Former Yugoslavia to enter the European Union, it will assume a particular political significance for all the SFRY successor states. The High Representative expressed the hope that Slovenia will maintain and expand its economic engagement in BiH and remain a supportive partner in peace implementation as well as BiH's European integration process.