Press Conferences

The High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, welcomed the outcome of yesterday’s discussion in the Constitutional and Legal Commission of the BiH Parliament. The decision means that BiH's elected representatives now have the opportunity to discuss these amendments in in a broader forum. It is now up to Parliament to consider these amendmen [...]

Senior Deputy High Representative Ambassador Peter Bas-Backer, today, will participate in a meeting which aims to raise awareness of competent authorities in BiH of the need for steps to be taken which will prepare the way for the introduction of Passive Voter Registration at the October elections.

The HR is today in New York where he will address the UN Security Council for the first time as High Representative. He will then meet with the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. He will highlight the necessity for Constitutional Reform, as well as the need for the issue of the decertified police officers to be resolved before the end of the OHR’s ma [...]

Last week we welcomed the public debate that had been sparked by the Draft Law on Rights and Obligations of the Delegates of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, currently in Committee the BiH Parliament, and due to be considered in last quarter of the month.

The Principal Deputy High Representative, Larry Butler, will have a meeting with representatives of the BiH Bankers’ Association this afternoon, at the OHR in Sarajevo.

It is already April, and OHR notes with concern that the City of Mostar has not yet adopted a budget for 2006, while most municipalities in BiH have done so. We urge the City Administration to finalize a balanced draft budget for submission to the City Council as soon as possible.

Members of the BiH Parliament have submitted legislation for debate which would increase their benefits and pensions. In the past the OHR has warned when legislation like this has been unaffordable and unacceptable. OHR welcomes the fact that this debate is now being taken on by the media and the NGO sector.

I will say a few words and then hand over to Minister Kebo and some of the representatives of the decertified police officers standing here behind me. First, let me say that I fully understand the difficult situation in which the decertified police officers find themselves. The United Nations IPTF performed an important and necessary function, ho [...]

The High Representative/EU Special Representative will this afternoon travel to Rome to attend the annual congress of the European Peoples' Party, where he will meet senior party leaders and other prominent politicians from all over Europe. He will highlight the political and economic progress that BiH has achieved over the last couple of years and [...]

I have a couple of points for you this morning but let me clarify some media reporting right off. It was reported last night that the HR would be in Foca tomorrow. The HR is not visiting Foca but he has welcomed the lifting of the Lautenberg Sanctions on this municipality.