The newly elected member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, said today, after taking office at the constitutive session of that institution, that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not owe anything to anyone, and that many owe it a lot, Fena news agency reports.
“I have only one, but a simple message for our neighbors. We will respect you as much as you respect the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Komšić.
He pointed out that the duties of a member of the BiH Presidency entrusted to him will be devoid of particular political and any individual or group interests.
“The election to this position, that is, the Constitution of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, obliges me to treat all citizens of our country equally. Such a relationship is also my personal decision, not just a constitutional obligation,” he pointed out.
Komšić emphasized that all the activities he undertakes as a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be directed towards the unity of the state and in accordance with its priorities, which are defined by the decisions of the institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The feeling of belonging to this country as our common good, its difficult but glorious past, faith in its future, faith in the generations to come, is my motivation to work in the general interest of all citizens and in the interest of the state, together with everyone, to try to make this country a place of more pleasant living, a place of hope and a place of realization of the dreams of the best among us,” pointed out Komšić.
He claims that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be sure that he will spare neither himself nor those whom he has chosen to work with on a daily basis towards this goal.
Komšić recalled that he was in the same place four years ago, taking the oath for the past term, and said that he would not miss an opportunity if one had arisen to unblock the NATO integration process through the activation of the MAP.
“That opportunity presented itself and it was used by delivering the Reform Program to the NATO headquarters in Brussels, which was first sent by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I can proudly say that I am satisfied with that fact,” he emphasized.
That is why he said that he will not miss the opportunity to do everything in his power, and even more widely, for Bosnia and Herzegovina to take the last step towards full membership in NATO if such a possibility appears likely, because he believes that membership of Bosnia and Herzegovina in NATO is the primary foreign policy priority.
“The destruction of the implementation of 14 priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission on candidate status for BiH membership in the European Union and the gross ignoring of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, unfortunately, threatens to make Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path a secondary foreign policy priority, given the scale of violations of European standards and principles, especially regarding the equality of citizens before the law and the Constitution,” said Komšić.
He emphasized that he will make all the necessary efforts and use all the mechanisms provided by the Constitution so that the perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership in the European Union is not permanently destroyed.
-“In this, I will need the support of all well-intentioned citizens and political options in BiH who still believe that BiH’s membership in the European Union is one of the primary foreign policy priorities,” he added.
Respecting the Constitution of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Komšić reminded of its evolutionary nature, i.e. the fact that the Constitution itself foresees the possibility of upgrading to a system of complete democracy and all its values.
“This is exactly what obliges us to fulfill the priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission, which are the best tool for achieving equality for all citizens. No one can take away the right to democracy from the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I will resolutely oppose all such attempts because I am bound to do so by the trust given by all those people who believe in democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Komšić.
Komšić said that as a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he will try to keep Bosnia and Herzegovina on the foreign policy side on the side of those countries in the United Nations that respect international law and the principle of inviolability of internationally recognized borders.
“Taught by its own historical experience, Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the United Nations, the Council of Europe and other international associations, will continue to be a state that will not take a neutral position in matters of the conflict of civilization and anti-civilization,” he said.
He claims that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its institutions will certainly be a reliable regional partner to all those who want peace, economic and any other social development through the relevant international agreements that we have signed in the past.
