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Plassnik: “More individual responsibility needed on the way to Europe”

Meeting between Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Prime Minister Adrian Terzic and Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik

The Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adrian Terzic, met Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik on Tuesday afternoon. Prime Minister Terzic will be attending a meeting on Wednesday of the Steering Committee set up under the Dayton Peace Accord. The meeting has been organised by the EU Presidency in Vienna.

In addition to the current political situation and constitutional reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the focus of the talks with Foreign Minister Plassnik was the process of moving towards EU accession and the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers held in Salzburg last weekend.

“Through the 'Salzburg Declaration', the EU has once again confirmed the accession prospects of the Western Balkans. At the same time, the EU and the Balkan states will take practical measures to bring about concrete improvements for the citizens of the region, step by step. To this end, the Balkans region is to be increasingly linked with the EU on as many levels as possible. The whole Austrian Presidency has dedicated itself to this task”, said Minster Plassnik in reference to the many events focussing on the Balkans during these six months, in the areas of science, education, security policy, economic policy and rule of law in particular.

The Foreign Minister also welcomed the encouraging progress made during the talks on constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The process of EU rapprochement also necessitates that institutions be made more functional and in line with European standards. At the same time, local decision-makers must be prepared to gradually assume more individual responsibility. I hope to see decisive steps in this direction for Bosnia and Herzegovina after the autumn elections. Austria and the EU will continue to accompany and support Bosnia and Herzegovina on this road.”

In this context the Foreign Minister also drew attention, however, to the challenges which still needed to be faced, including in particular the full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. “Closure of this tragic episode in the country’s history is inconceivable if Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are not handed over to The Hague. Only then will the country be able to concentrate fully on its European future”, concluded the Foreign Minister.