News in English     | 19.04.2018. 12:08 |

Toperić after Congress hearing: BiH needs activation of MAP as soon as possible

FENA Fedzad Forto

WASHINGTON/SARAJEVO, April 19 (FENA) - A hearing on the topic "The Dayton Legacy and the Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans" was held yesterday in the United States Congress before the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives.

The hearing was chaired by the Chairman of the body, the Republican Party congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, and the Vice-chairman, a Democrat, Gregory Meeks.

Matthew Palmer, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, Saša Toperić, Senior Fellow and Director of the Mediterranean Basin, Middle East, and Gulf Initiative, from the Center for Transatlantic Relations, Philippe Leroux- Martin, Director for the Rule of Law, Justice and Security at the American Institute of Peace and Kurt Bassuener, Co-Founder and Senior Associate of the Democratization Policy Council also took part and spoke before the subcommittee.

One of the participants in the hearing, Saša Toperić, told FENA that in his presentation, he emphasized the efforts of the United States and the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the necessity of reaching an agreement on amending the Election Law ion connection to the judgment in the Ljubić case, and a consensus on the elections in Mostar, where the citizens of this city for two election cycles were unable to exercise their democratic right to vote.

Stressing the fact that political leaders in BiH have not reached an agreement on the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgment for eight years, which requires constitutional reforms, Toperić said he proposed additional engagement by the international community immediately after the October elections in order for BiH to obtain a candidate status for membership in the EU and to embark a process of harmonizing its legislation with European standards.

Pointing out the necessity of these processes, Toperić underlined the very bad situation in the BiH judiciary, which is under fierce influence of politicians and whose indifference and inertness actually incites corruption, thus creating economic insecurity and hindering the inflow of foreign investments.

Toperić also noted that he has condemned the irresponsibility of politicians in BiH who, as a rule, begin with solve the burning issues of direct relevance for a better life of all citizens of BiH in the nick of time, mainly because of the pressure of the international community.

But, he stressed the need to take responsibility for BiH, but also urged the international community to help where they can.

Toperić therefore, after voicing his concern over the increasing influence of Russia in the Balkans, urged the US Congress to encourage its European partners to follow the US in the introduction of sanctions to Milorad Dodik, whose statements increasingly represent a threat to peace not only in BiH but the entire region.

As a direct response to Russian engagement in the Balkans, Toperić urged the United States and its European partners to work together to activate the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for BiH at the upcoming NATO Summit in Brussels in July this year.

“A substantially stronger engagement of the United States is necessary and it is certain that by doing this,the US and the EU would help stop the alarming departure of BiH citizens abroad in search of a more normal and better life, as this being especially the case with young and highly educated citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” underlined Toperić.

(FENA) S. R.

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