The Protocol on technical cooperation between the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) and the Federal Ministry of Justice of Austria was signed today in Sarajevo.
The document, which opens up the possibility of signing bilateral agreements between the two countries in the field of strengthening the rule of law, was signed by the President of the HJPC of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Halil Lagumdžija, and Georg Stawa, Justice Attaché for Southeast Europe of the Government of the Republic of Austria.
Stawa expressed satisfaction on this occasion and announced that the cooperation in the justice sector between the two countries will be intensified, reminding that it is an idea that originated in Bosnia and Herzegovina and which was very well received.
“It is a European approach based on which we work together to improve the functioning of the judiciary,” said Stawa after the signing ceremony, underlining the importance of the digitalization process in this regard.
President of the HJPC of BiH, Halil Lagumdžija, also pointed out the importance of establishing cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Justice, stating that it was initiated after the visit of Alma Zadić, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Austria, in July this year.
The signing of the aforementioned protocol via video address was also welcomed by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Austria, Alma Zadić, pointing out that an efficient judicial system, independence and transparency of court processes and the integrity of judges and prosecutors are the key to strengthening a democratic society based on the rule of law.
Ambassador of the Republic of Austria in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ulrike Hartman, who attended the signing ceremony of the aforementioned protocol, also expressed her satisfaction with the latest concretization of judicial cooperation between the two countries.
As it was said, by signing the Protocol on Technical Cooperation, the conditions for intensifying the cooperation between Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of improving the capacity of judicial institutions and strengthening legal security in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been achieved.