Luxembourg, 14/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 April, the EU foreign affairs ministers called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to listen to their people and to “supply responsible and immediate responses to their legitimate concerns”. In the short term, the EU ministers ask the institutions and leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to give firm responses “immediately” to issues such as taking citizens' needs into account and socio-economic issues - “particularly the fight against unemployment”, improvement in coordinating economic and budgetary policies, and the creation of a better business environment.
The EU ministers also call on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to translate the “legitimate” concerns of their people “into fully implemented legislative initiatives”, including strengthening the rule of law, tackling corruption, measures for presenting financial accounts, and protecting human rights.
“Before the general elections in October 2014, more must be done, not less”, the EU ministers warn. They call on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina “to commit as soon as possible after the October elections to a wider package of issues, so as to address the challenges that the country continues to face in order for it to make progress towards the EU” - issues such as reforms to improve the effectiveness and functioning of their institutions, and implementation of the Sejdic-Finci ruling of the European Court of Justice.
The Council reasserts its “unequivocal” insistence on the country's territorial integrity “as a sovereign and unified country”, and it condemns the “unacceptable” ideas and rhetoric of division and secession.
Launch of a pact for growth. Elsewhere, the ministers support the launch of an EU “pact for growth” aiming “to help the institutions of Bosnia-Herzegovina identify the concrete socio-economic structural reforms to re-launch the economy and stimulate the creation of short- to medium-term employment”. (CG)