Bosnia’s HoR Speaker discusses situation in BiH with US Congressman Sean Maloney

Bosnia’s House of Representatives Speaker, Denis Zvizdic, discussed “the political situation in BiH and the active involvement of the United States in contributing to building security and stability in the Western Balkans” with Congressman Sean Maloney in Washington on Friday, a statement by his office said.

Zvizdic thanked the US Congress for its “strong support in helping BiH implement reforms on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration” and said that the country made significant progress to achieve goals aimed at Euro-Atlantic integration, further strengthening of democratic institutions and the rule of law, respect for human rights and the fight against corruption, but that this progress was stopped due to “unconstitutional blockade of state institutions which is being conducted by individuals from the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska (RS).”

Zvizdic informed Maloney that “the constitutional and legal order of BiH was endangered,” particularly in terms of threats of dismantling the BiH Armed Forces, the Court and Prosecutor's Office of BiH, as well as the Indirect Taxation Authority of the country.

He was referring to the initiative of BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik and his party for the RS entity to withdraw from numerous state institutions formed after the war in BiH and create its own separate ones.

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Zvizdic especially emphasized the issue of state property, which he argued is closely related to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state, and told Maloney about “illegal efforts to transfer state property to the entity level.”

“They agreed that this was in complete contradiction with international and domestic law and with the decisions of the BiH Constitutional Court,” the statement said.

Zvizdic said that the majority of citizens want peace and security and that Bosnia and Herzegovina's efforts “must remain focused on the most important foreign policy priorities, namely NATO and the European Union, which will create preconditions for permanent peace, long-term stability and economic progress.”

Congressman Maloney said that the United States stands firmly behind the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH and remains a stable partner and supporter in the realization of Euro-Atlantic goals, economic progress and strengthening the rule of law in the country.