OHR’s Statement at the International Agencies’ Joint Press Conference in Mostar

The High Representative in London meeting Jack Straw

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, is in London today where he meets British Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jack Straw. During the meeting  the HR will outline progress made so far regarding co-operation, in particular RS,  with the ICTY.

The HR will breif Minister Straw on police reform, one of the last outstanding key reforms required by the EU for BiH to move to negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The High Representative will underline that the EC Consultative Task Force timetable dictates that BiH’s political parties must be ready to start formal negotiations on police restructuring by the end of this month and before BiH moves in to the crucial period of assessment that will be done by EC CTF.

PIC Meets in Brussels Tomorrow

Tomorrow the High Representative is in Brusseles where he will chair a meeting of the Political Directors of the Peace Implementation Council. This PIC is particularly important as it is the last ahead of a series of crucial meetings later this month and in May at which the status of BiH’s aspirations to join NATO’s PfP and begin Stabilisation and Association negotiations with the EU will be discussed.

At tomorrow’s meeting the BiH authorities, led by Prime Minister Adnan Terzic, will report on the steps they have taken in order to move forward with key reforms, focusing on Police Restructuring, Defence Reform, economic and institutional reforms related to the Feasibility Study requirements, and cooperation with the ICTY.

This will be Ambassador Werner Wnendt’s last PIC as SDHR. Ambassador Wnendt, as you know, is moving to Kosovo where he will lead the OSCE Mission. It will be the first PIC at which Ambassador Larry Butler participates in the capacity of Principal Deputy High Representative.