Following the session of the SDA Main Board on Saturday, there have been suggestions that the SAA could be signed without adoption of the police reform legislation. In response to these claims, HR/EUSR Lajčák underlined that the EU expects police reform legislation to be adopted in the state’s parliament for the SAA to be signed. This conditionality been stated and restated, including over the past days. Lajčák emphasised that the broader International Community has supported the EU’s approach, calling for police reform legislation in line with the Mostar Declaration and the subsequent Action Plan to be adopted as a matter of urgency. Anyone who claims that the SAA can be signed in the near future while the adoption of postponement of police reform legislation is postponed is simply misleading the public. “EU integration is BiH’s most important strategic objective. Ordinary people want to see development, closer social and business ties with the EU, they want the visa regime liberalized,” said the High Representative and EU Special Representative. The HR/EUSR also reminded those who questioned the existence of the entities that the Peace Implementation Council reaffirmed that the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes that Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities and that Bosniacs, Croats and Serbs are constituent peoples. The International Community remains committed to the principles on which the General Framework Agreement for Peace is founded.
04/07/2008