BH POLITICAL LEADERS REACH CONSENSUS ON THE ISSUE OF VISA REGIME LIBERALIZATION

There is a consensus between BiH political leaders on the issue concerning the liberalization of visa regime, it was concluded after the yesterday’s meeting with HR Valentin Inzko.

SNSD president Milorad Dodik at the end stated that it is necessary to adopt all the laws and to do everything to make the October report positive for BiH in order to receive a non-visa regime by June 2010.

“I believe that this weeping on how EU is creating problems for Bosniaks does not stand because there are more Bosniaks with Croatian passports than there are Serbs from BiH with Serbian passports”, said Dodik.

When it comes to constitutional reform, Dodik believes that this strictly falls under the state competence.

“If we manage to agree on this issue, it is good, if we do not… Well, we are not a country without a constitution”, he added.

SDA president Sulejman Tihic stated that he was not satisfied with the results of the meeting and added that there was some difficult arguing between him and Dodik.

“I am sorry that some politicians were not here, but we who were committed ourselves to do everything necessary to fulfill the remaining conditions for visa regime liberalization”, said Tihic.

Tihic believes that “the Prud process has fallen into a crisis after the meeting in Banja Luka and it is mostly because of hate speech delivered by Milorad Dodik and because he gave up on what he had prior agreed upon”.

“Dodik, after the criticism on his behalf, gave up on the agreement we had made on the constitutional reform, census, state property and return process”, said Tihic.

He added that he will no longer speak with Dodik unless the meetings are taped because “Dodik has tendencies to make up stuff and distort the facts”.

When it comes to Party for BiH, Safet Halilovic stated that he attending this meeting does not mean that the party is entering the Prud process.

“You were able to see from the positions of Tihic and Dodik that there is no Prud process. That was basically an agreement to make an agreement and each one of them have their own interpretation on what has been agreed upon. Party for BiH is dedicated to the agreement of all parliamentary parties, at least of those parties which make up the parliamentary majority”, said Halilovic and added that the Prud process was “a great illusion”.

He explained that Party for BiH attended this meeting in order to contribute the pressure made on EU with regards to the visa regime and to take make sure everything possible is done to complete the visa liberalization process.

HDZ 1990 president Bozo Ljubic expressed satisfaction with achieved consensus on the issue and stated that he hoped that RS shall soon adopt the law on Ombudsman which would satisfy the European Commission.

“I still believe there is chance for BiH to enter Schengen White List by January 1 2010”, said Ljubic.

There is a consensus between BiH political leaders on the issue concerning the liberalization of visa regime, it was concluded after the yesterday’s meeting with HR Valentin Inzko.

SNSD president Milorad Dodik at the end stated that it is necessary to adopt all the laws and to do everything to make the October report positive for BiH in order to receive a non-visa regime by June 2010.

“I believe that this weeping on how EU is creating problems for Bosniaks does not stand because there are more Bosniaks with Croatian passports than there are Serbs from BiH with Serbian passports”, said Dodik.

When it comes to constitutional reform, Dodik believes that this strictly falls under the state competence.

“If we manage to agree on this issue, it is good, if we do not… Well, we are not a country without a constitution”, he added.

SDA president Sulejman Tihic stated that he was not satisfied with the results of the meeting and added that there was some difficult arguing between him and Dodik.

“I am sorry that some politicians were not here, but we who were committed ourselves to do everything necessary to fulfill the remaining conditions for visa regime liberalization”, said Tihic.

Tihic believes that “the Prud process has fallen into a crisis after the meeting in Banja Luka and it is mostly because of hate speech delivered by Milorad Dodik and because he gave up on what he had prior agreed upon”.

“Dodik, after the criticism on his behalf, gave up on the agreement we had made on the constitutional reform, census, state property and return process”, said Tihic.

He added that he will no longer speak with Dodik unless the meetings are taped because “Dodik has tendencies to make up stuff and distort the facts”.

When it comes to Party for BiH, Safet Halilovic stated that he attending this meeting does not mean that the party is entering the Prud process.

“You were able to see from the positions of Tihic and Dodik that there is no Prud process. That was basically an agreement to make an agreement and each one of them have their own interpretation on what has been agreed upon. Party for BiH is dedicated to the agreement of all parliamentary parties, at least of those parties which make up the parliamentary majority”, said Halilovic and added that the Prud process was “a great illusion”.

He explained that Party for BiH attended this meeting in order to contribute the pressure made on EU with regards to the visa regime and to take make sure everything possible is done to complete the visa liberalization process.

HDZ 1990 president Bozo Ljubic expressed satisfaction with achieved consensus on the issue and stated that he hoped that RS shall soon adopt the law on Ombudsman which would satisfy the European Commission.

“I still believe there is chance for BiH to enter Schengen White List by January 1 2010”, said Ljubic.   (FENA)