OHR LAUNCHES NEW ROUND OF TALKS WITH BOSNIAN POLITICAL LEADERS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 28,2008) - The International Community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajčák has launched a round of bilateral talks with Bosnian political leaders. The High Representative and EU Special Representative aims to address a number of open political issues to generate political consensus and ensure progress in Bosnia does not come to a standstill in the months ahead,the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) said.

Last week in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo the HR/EUSR met with the President of the largest Bosnian political party - the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) - Sulejman Tihic.They discussed the appointment of the Bosnian Ombudsmen.

“Restarting the process from scratch would be a needless delay”, said Lajčák. “The Bosnian State Parliament must find a means to harmonize positions on the Bosniak and Croat names before them and conclude this process as soon as possible.”

Looking ahead to activities for the Autumn, the High Representative and EU Special Representative called for a new readiness to resolve the State and Defense property issues and placing the Brcko District into the Bosnian Constitution.

The High Representative and EU Special Represenative and the SDA President discussed the concerning developments in Stolac’s secondary school. The High Representative and EU Special Representative confirmed that he has been following the issue and that it was unacceptable for “children to be held hostage by politics”. Lajčák confirmed that he expected the situation to be resolved as a matter of urgency.

With the Stabilisation and Association agreement now in place the High Representative and EU Special Representative and the SDA President agreed that a meeting of party leaders from the governing state level coalition would secure Bosnia's faster progress on the road to the EU membership.
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