REVIEW OF TWO EU-RELATED LAWS AND EU NEGOTIATOR POST ON DECEMBER 2

SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 26 /SRNA/ – The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krišto has stated that on December 2 the Council of Ministers will consider the draft laws on the Court and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council /HJPC/, which are significant for BiH's EU integration path, as well as the decision on appointing the chief negotiator with the EU.

Krišto told reporters that the first step is to adopt the decision on appointing the chief negotiator, noting that potential candidates for the position have not yet been discussed.

Referring to the statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković that he will not support the appointment of a chief negotiator if the candidate comes from the SNSD, Krišto stressed that the political will of the people cannot be ignored—namely, the authority in Republika Srpska, which is responsible for implementing reforms.

"What will we achieve if we appoint someone based solely on someone's personal preference? Who will that person be able to engage with when it comes to the Council of Ministers or other levels of government?" Krišto asked.

She noted that ministers were informed at today's session that EU member states have accepted the Reform Agenda, but that BiH is expected to ratify both the Instrument Agreement and the Loan Agreement in order to access the advance tranche of about EUR 60 million.

According to her, the Council of Ministers today appointed two teams for the peaceful resolution of arbitration disputes and established the basis for concluding an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on rehabilitating the existing Foča–Hum road section, part of the Šćepan Polje corridor.

"At the proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, we also adopted the framework for an agreement on the rehabilitation of main roads in the Federation of BiH. This involves a loan worth EUR 70 million," Krišto stated.