The Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Višković, discussed current political themes in Bosnia and Herzegovina today in Banja Luka with the Norwegian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Olav Reinertsen, focusing on agreements made by representatives of authorities within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Višković and Reinertsen also discussed the dynamics of the European path, primarily regarding obtaining a date for the commencement of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s negotiations with the EU and the Growth Plan presented by the European Commission.
Višković emphasized that the Republika Srpska is interested in EU integrations but knowing the exact start date of the negotiations is crucial. He expressed readiness to fulfill all obligations as soon as possible, respecting the constitutional arrangement of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as stated by the Government’s Public Relations Bureau.
He informed Reinertsen about the challenges encountered during negotiations on key issues, especially after comments from certain diplomats, following which the positions and agreements reached at meetings differ significantly from those stated publicly. Višković highlighted that it is most important for legitimately elected officials to decide on critical issues without foreign interference, which is the biggest stumbling block.
Regarding the Growth Plan document, Višković noted that the Government of the Republika Srpska had reviewed the document and made recommendations, but added that these activities and measures must be implemented in accordance with the constitutional arrangement of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This means that the Council of Ministers cannot act as the government and that competent authorities must implement certain measures.
Višković and Reinertsen agreed that Europe is incomplete without the countries of the Western Balkans and that the Western Balkans is part of Europe.
They stated that the cooperation between the Republika Srpska and Norway has been good, with expectations for even more success in the future.
Reinertsen thanked Višković for the open discussion and expressed hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina would start negotiations with the EU soon and that the European Commission’s Growth Plan would be adopted. He mentioned that Europe is currently facing many problems but believes that after this challenging period, things will stabilize and there will be more investments, as mentioned in the statement.
Source: RTRS
