The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, continued his meetings with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s top political officials meeting with Haris Silajdžić President of the Party for BiH and Chair of the BiH Presidency in Sarajevo today.

Lajčák and Silajdžić discussed a series of outstanding issues which need to be solved for BiH to move further forward on its path to meeting the obligations arising from the Stabilization and Association Agreement and to meet the objectives and requirements set for the OHR’s transition into the EUSR. Additional effort, at political level, is needed to resolve the outstanding objectives and requirements. Proposals to hold a joint meeting of BiH political leaders were discussed. This has already received support from SDA President, Sulejman Tihić last week. The HR/EUSR said he expected BiH leaders to show their readiness to find acceptable solutions on state and defence property and the legal status of the Brčko District. “The state must have its property to be able to fulfil its constitutional competencies”, Lajčák said. “The Brčko District must be firmly embedded in law for the Final Arbitration Award to be implemented,” ha added.

The HR/EUSR and the Chair of the BiH Presidency discussed constitutional change in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Agreement exists to move to talks immediately after the October elections. If there is understanding in the country and within the International Community that the constitutional question cannot be delayed any longer then serious preparations need to be made they concluded.

With the arrest of ICTY indictee Radovan Karadžić, Lajčák and Silajdžić called for continued cooperation with the ICTY and the extradition of remaining indictees, Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić.

Continuing his bilateral meetings with political officials the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, will meet tomorrow with President of the Executive Board of the SNSD and Member of the BiH Presidency, Nebojša Radmanović.