The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, stated today that the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the adoption of the law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HCPC), as well as the election of the chief negotiator, are imperative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily due to the economy, stability of the country and the entire region.
He said this after a meeting with the Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazi Cassis, who was on a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After the meeting, Konaković emphasized that they discussed several important topics from bilateral relations, with special emphasis on the activities of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as on the role of this organization at the global level in a time marked by wars and numerous challenges.
He pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a full member of the OSCE, where decisions are made by consensus, and that it is one of the rare international platforms in which Russia continues to actively participate, which makes the processes even more complex.
According to him, the current priorities within the OSCE are the adoption of the budget and ensuring the full functionality of the organization, in which Bosnia and Herzegovina provides full support, bearing in mind the importance of the OSCE.
Speaking about the activities of the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Konaković stated that a special focus was placed on the preparations for the general elections in 2026, and highlighted the very good cooperation with the OSCE Mission in BiH, especially in the process of acquiring equipment with the aim of holding fair and correct elections.
He expressed the hope that domestic political actors, especially in the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Finance, will recognize the importance of this process and enable the elections to be held in the most democratic environment since the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Konaković also informed the interlocutor about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, assessing that the country is in the most difficult crisis since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, but at the same time facing the greatest opportunities since Dayton until today.
Global security challenges were also discussed, including the possibility that the OSCE, if the space is opened for it, has a more significant role in international efforts to establish peace, including in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and Chairman of the OSCE Ignazio Cassis said that the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be held in October this year, were one of the key topics of the discussion, stressing that they must be transparent and fair.
Cassis emphasized that appropriate technology is necessary for a credible election process in order to prevent possible abuses, and called on all three members of the BiH Presidency to, with the support of the OSCE, provide funds for the purchase of the necessary equipment.
He pointed out that free elections are the basis of democracy, and that it is important to find a balance between decentralization and centralization of power, which, as he stated, is a topic with special experience in Switzerland.
Speaking about regional cooperation, Cassis said that the acceleration of the European integration process of the Western Balkans is of key importance for the stability of the entire European continent.
He reminded that Switzerland has been present in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1996 through development cooperation, in which it annually invests about 15 million Swiss francs.
Referring to the situation within the OSCE, Cassis said that the organization is facing challenges due to the war in Ukraine, stressing that its basic role is to facilitate dialogue between countries in conflict, as trust and dialogue are key to security.
He concluded that Switzerland will continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina and the work of the OSCE, as well as efforts to strengthen dialogue and stability in the region.
