OSCE Secretary General visits BiH, welcomes new government’s priorities

SARAJEVO, 20 March 2012 – The OSCE Secretary General, Lamberto Zannier, today concluded his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he met the new state government to discuss their priorities in the light of the contribution offered by the OSCE Mission.

In meetings with the Members of the BiH Presidency, Nebojša Radmanović and Željko Komsić, the Chair of the Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda and Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija, Zannier also discussed the work of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest civilian mission in the country, which is working with all levels of the government and society in supporting and strengthening democratic institutions.

“I welcome the new government’s declared priorities, which will support your ambition of EU integration. This is very positive, especially at a time when other countries in the region are making important steps on their own integration paths,” said Zannier.

He called on the authorities to remove ethnic discrimination from parts of the BiH Constitution, as required by the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the Sejdić-Finci case.

“I know well that resolution of difficult issues such as constitutional reform requires skilled diplomacy, good will and constructive compromise,” he said. “While the extent of constitutional reform in BiH is a question for domestic political parties to determine, functionality is also a key topic to be addressed through overall constitutional reform.”

During his meeting with the EU Special Representative, Peter Sørensen, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Roderick Moore, and the Head of Council of Europe Office, Mary Ann Hennessey, Zannier underscored the importance of continuing strong international community co-ordination in the country.

The OSCE is working with the authorities on many issues including, education, judicial reform, strengthening the democratic accountability of armed forces, fighting human trafficking and supporting media freedom.