Bilateral meetings of Dr. Lagumdzija during the Session of the Adriatic-Ionian Council and the EUSAIR Conference in Athens



During the Special (16^th) session of the Adriatic and Ionian Council (AIC) and the Conference of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), held in Athens, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija in separate meetings met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Evangelos Venizelos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivan Mrkic, Vice President of the Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Karl Erjavec as well as Secretary-General of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative Ambassador Fabio Pigliapoco.

 

Dr. Lagumdzija informed Minister Venizelos about further activities related to the implementation of the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case “Sejdic-Finci”. He emphasized how it is of paramount importance that the solution regarding the implementation of the ruling in the case “Sejdic-Finci” contributes to internal integration of B&H which is as equally important as the integration of our country to the EU. Dr. Lagumdzija commended the involvement of European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule but also pointed out to the need for engagement of all EU member states in order to accomplish promptly, under the auspices of their joint leadership, a satisfactory solution.

 

Minister Venizelos expressed the commitment and readiness of Greece to develop relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and underlined support for European integration of our country. He stated his concern due to the fact that the process of European integration is in stagnation.

 

Dr. Lagumdzija invited Minister Venizelos to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina in capacity of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union and thus, once more, send a message about the position of B&H in European integration as well as emphasized that additional support of Greece to integration of B&H, and other countries from the region, into the European Union is tremendously important.  

 

Dr. Lagumdzija exchanged views with Minister Mrkic in relation to holding the first joint session between the Council of Ministers of B&H and the Government of the Republic of Serbia as the first meeting of its kind after independence of the two states and an opportunity to assess overall relations and discuss numerous issues and joint projects.      

 

Dr. Lagumdzija stated that the joint session can take place only if it is going to be held in a positive atmosphere. In that regard it was emphasized that it is of the utmost importance that the Protocol signed between the Prosecutor`s Office of B&H and the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor of the Republic of Serbia on cooperation in prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide is fully respected to avoid that, ever again, citizens of both countries feel unprotected by their states. Dr. Lagumdzija reiterated that B&H citizens can only be judged by international or B&H courts. He also stressed that B&H will not extradite its own nationals, that everybody has the right to a fair trial in its own country as well as that this principle should become a norm in the region. 

 

Dr. Lagumdzija informed Minister Mrkic on activities implemented by the Prosecutor`s Office of B&H in relation to the exhumation at a landfill located in Buca Potok, following some false claims which appeared in Serbian and B&H public that activities on exhumation were terminated due to lack of financial resources.  

 

Among other issues, interlocutors in discussion highlighted the importance of the Srednja Drina project and signing the Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation in Third Country Markets in the near future. The need for strengthening cooperation in the area of consular and legal protection was emphasized in particular, whereby a good opportunity for implementation of that cooperation will be the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil where B&H does not have a diplomatic and consular office and Serbia is ready to provide assistance to B&H citizens who will attend matches of the B&H team.   

 

Dr. Lagumdzija informed Minister Erjavec about the current situation in B&H placing an accent to the implementation of the ruling in the case “Sejdic –Finci” and, on that occasion, pointed out to the need for proactive involvement of the European Union in the process of solving this issue.

 

At the meeting were discussed pertinent issues for further improving of bilateral relations between B&H and Slovenia with and accent to economic issues as well as exchange of views on economic cooperation with the countries in the region i.e. the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region.    

 

In conversation with Ambassador Pigliapoco Dr. Lagumdzija expressed his support for the work of the Secretariat of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative in Ancona and activities of the AII Initiative in general and gave concrete proposals for improving the work of the AII in the future. Dr. Lagumdzija particularly commended the Regional Cooperation Program from which the Government of Italy finances small projects in the region (B&H participates in three projects), as well as assessed that the EUSAIR is an important milestone in regional cooperation.