The HR/EUSR Valentin Inzko met with Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor yesterday in Ljubljana.

During the meeting, the HR/EUSR informed Prime Minister Pahor about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the conclusions of the latest meeting of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board in Sarajevo.

The HR/EUSR Valentin Inzko underlined that the political situation in the country is deteriorating also because of the elections. In the present difficult times “the politicians would need to focus more on the economy and on protecting of the living standards of BiH citizens, “Economic problems will not disappear regardless of elections and no matter how persistently these problems are ignored,” the HR/EUSR Inzko added.

Briefing Prime Minister Pahor, the HR/EUSR Inzko emphasised that the Steering Board continued its discussion on the prospects for transition from OHR to a reinforced EU presence in BiH and reiterated that this transition remains the goal once the five objectives and two conditions necessary for OHR closure have been met.

“The PIC Steering Board expressed its serious concern over the lack of progress that the BiH authorities have made in this regard. The slow pace of reform in BiH and the lack of political will among BiH politicians, on the pretext of the upcoming elections, cannot be used as an excuse to stop working," the HR/EUSR said.

The Steering Board, welcomed the progress made by the BiH authorities in fulfilling requirements for EU visa liberalisation and reiterated its support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU perspective.

In this regard, the HR/EUSR Inzko thanked Prime Minister Pahor for the support that Slovenia is giving Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts to make progress in Euro-Atlantic integration. He also expressed the hope that Slovenia will continue to help Bosnia and Herzegovina's in the NATO and EU accession processes.