Lajčák: Agreement between the three presidents must be translated into practice

The High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák met with SDA President Sulejman Tihić today, to discuss the results of the last week’s meeting between the presidents of SDA, HDZ BiH and SNSD. The High Representative expressed his support to the results of this meeting, and conveyed a clear position of the international community that concrete results must follow now, i.e. the agreement must be implemented through legislation.

“The agreement was reached and now we expect concrete results, both through the institutions of BiH and from the political parties that signed the agreement, as they must ensure the necessary majority for adoption of the agreed solutions. What BiH needs now is a constructive approach and putting aside individual and party interests. Dialogue and compromise in the interest of BiH should become the main guidelines of political action in BiH. Exclusivist and maximalist attitudes are not the philosophy of European politics, and they should not be the guidelines of political life in BiH”, the High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák stated.  

The EU supports the agreement between the three party leaders, because it raises hope that the entire political scene in BiH will focus its attention on the only important strategic issue, one that everyone in BiH agrees on, and it is the road to Euro-Atlantic integration. Any further lack of progress in reforms that are important for BiH’s European road would only be detrimental for the citizens, so in order to preserve their own credibility before the voters the political parties should forget their individual political goals and give priority to Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens.