Madrid, 25/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - EU Council President Josep Piqué met Carla del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, on Thursday in Madrid. They mainly discussed the announcement by the Yugoslav Government stating that six of the twenty-three Serbs indicted have voluntarily agreed to their extradition to The Hague, according to Europa Press.
Also on Thursday, Josep Piqué received the Bosnian Foreign Minister Slato Lagumdzija. On 24 April, Bosnia and Herzegovina became the 44th member of the Council of Europe (see EUROPE of 20 April, p.5), and the Spanish Presidency published the following declaration on behalf of the EU: "The EU welcomes the completion of the process of amendment of the constitutions in both entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in compliance with the Constitutional Court's decisions on the equal status of its constituent peoples throughout BiH. The EU commends those political leaders in both entities whose efforts have brought this constitutional reform process to a successful closing, in accordance with the 27 March Sarajevo Agreement. It also commends the efforts undertaken by the High Representative to facilitate those efforts. Other political actors of BiH, however, have cast some serious doubts on their abilities to engage as responsible partners of the International Community. Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken an important step forward in terms of its democratic development and commitment to rule of law. The constitutional reform was indeed crucial for the future stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the development of the country according to modern European standards. It signifies progress in BiH's approximation to European structures. The EU encourages all leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully embrace this outcome and to engage in a swift implementation of the constitutional reforms".