The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák met today in Sarajevo with SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija.

“Reforms required by the EU integration process should be insulated from the daily political struggle for power,” said the High Representative and EU Special Representative. Lajčák outlined that in all successful EU accession countries governing and opposition parties agreed that EU integration was a national priority and worked together to push their country forward.

The HR/EUSR described the ‘regatta approach’ to EU integration. “This is a healthy competition between countries in the region, but no country should be hamstrung by spiteful internal politics on issues that are clearly for the national good”.

The fact that a party may not be in government doesn’t mean that it does not have any responsibility, if to no one else then the people who turned out on Election Day to vote for them.

The High Representative and EU Special Representative called on the SDP President to recognize the support given to the joint statement from Prud of 8 November by EU Foreign Ministers. In light of this support the High Representative and EU Special Representative expressed the hope that the SDP would, in line with the party’s state building principles, carefully consider legislation coming in to parliament based on the joint statement.