High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák today thanked all those who were involved in the conduct of yesterday’s municipal elections, in particular the many officials, observers and volunteers across Bosnia and Herzegovina, for ensuring that the poll remained free of major incidents.

“A lot of irresponsible statements were made during the election campaign, which are not helpful for BiH’s future EU integration process and developing trust among peoples”, Lajčák said and called on political parties to focus their energy on ensuring progress on the EU agenda and meeting the remaining objectives and conditions set by the PIC Steering Board in February this year.

“Now that the municipal elections are over, I expect everyone to focus their attention on the key priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the coming months: a full implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which is a prerequisite for bringing BiH closer to the European Union”, Lajčák said. “In the short-term, political leaders must also resolve the issue of state property and the future status of Brčko.”