The joint session of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Democratic Union was held on Thursday in the hall of the Petrićevac Monastery in Banja Luka, where the current political situation in BiH was discussed with an emphasis on the implementation of European reforms and the preservation of peace, stability, territorial integrity and the country’s constitutional order.
The session was chaired by the leaders of the two parties, Dragan Čović and Andrej Plenković.
Special emphasis was placed on the further strengthening of cooperation between the two parties, based on a long-term partnership, with a focus on joint care for the Croats in BiH and the development of the country’s Euro-Atlantic perspective, HDZ BiH announced.
During the session, Čović spoke about the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an emphasis on the urgent implementation of reform priorities and the acceleration of the European path.
In the light of the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, he pointed out that the continuation of the joint action of the sister parties in protecting the constitutional rights and strategic interests of the Croatian people in BiH is crucial.
He emphasized his satisfaction with the successful cooperation and emphasized the continuation of strong joint action.
HDZ President Andrej Plenković stressed the importance of the continued partnership between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In the future, Croatia remains committed to partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina on the European road, in the development of economic cooperation and in the preservation of the rich cultural heritage left to us by the generations before us,” Plenković said.
In a statement to the media, HDZ President Plenković emphasized the importance of the new Gradiška border crossing and expressed the hope that BiH institutions will soon complete the necessary procedures to make the crossing functional and facilitate the movement of people and goods.
He also referred to the issue of Trgovska gora, stressing that according to all expert assessments, the interventions planned are completely harmless to people. “Croatia does it responsibly, as everything we do we strive to do in accordance with the law and in the best interest of our citizens, and of course all our neighbors,” he said.
He pointed out that the Republic of Croatia annually allocates around 150 million euros for activities related to Croats outside Croatia, with the largest part going to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Speaking about the Electoral Law, he expressed his expectation that an agreement will be reached that will restore trust between nations and enable the stable functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the spirit of the Dayton Agreement.
The Chairperson of the BiH Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, expressed her regret that the Gradiška border crossing has not yet been opened due to the lack of agreement in the Management Board, judging it to be harmful to the international reputation and economy of BiH. She emphasized that she will insist on the implementation of the project and thanked Plenković for his continuous support for strategic projects and the European path of BiH.
The session concluded with the confirmation of joint commitment to further political action aimed at protecting the rights and interests of the Croatian people, strengthening internal stability and continuing the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
