Address by Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Today's decision to recommend to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina has an exceptional and manifold importance. 

At the same time, it marks a new chapter in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

t is therefore a great honour that I have the opportunity in this solemn moment for Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the Plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly, and state that we fully share the same values and commitments with you.

I am convinced that I do not exaggerate by saying that for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, your decision may be seen as a sign of light at the end of a dark tunnel in which we have been for about last ten years.

It comes in the times when we are investing new efforts in order to reconstruct our society while speeding up the complex process of social and economic transition.

We feel that in the same time it represents a symbolic and very concrete message of the oldest European political organisation - consciousness of our continent - that Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to this family and is put on irreversible process of strengthening statehood on a way to new Europe.

We are convinced that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will follow your today's decision, and will officially confirm it at its next session.

Our pleasure is even greater since your today's decision has been brought on the basis of large consensus of all political forces at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

We believe that it also represents an appreciation of full maturity and responsibility of all the most important political forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina that have chosen the European road as the only road by which Bil-I should go.

Your today's decision we see also as a recognition for the new, democratic, non nationalist concept of governing Bosnia and Herzegovina as one united, multiethnic, democratic state, for which we are struggling every day.

After all what we survived in the last ten years, the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Council of Europe wakes up new hope that better future is in front of us.

Mr. Chairman,

All our endeavours would hardly be successful without continuous help and support of the international community and we are grateful for that. But, the time for our active and dynamic participation in the process of reconstruction and reforms is there.

We believe that internally we have reached a critical level of knowledge and commitment that gives a positive impetus for our full participation in this joint venture. T

hat is why we are committed to the building of partnership relation with the international community in order to create a needed synergy for the accelerated democratic and economic reforms of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with European values and standards, but never forgetting or giving up the very nature of our own identity.

Implementation of Constituent Court's decision on Bosniacs, Serbs and Croats being constituent and legally equal on overall territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina has to show urgently that we all learned lessons from the past and being serious about our future based on European values.

Membership in the Council of Europe is the first milestone along that way and I would like to use this opportunity to thank all who helped us on our road towards this day.

It is not possible to name all our friends who contributed to today's decision, but it is my duty to mention at least our raporteurs Mr. SURJAN and Mrs JAATTEEMNAKI who made an excellent job, which was not easy all the time; their predecessors Mr. BLOETZER and Mrs. GELDERBLOM-LANKHOUT who have never stopped believing in a democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina based on the rule of law and human rights, Mr. Van Den LINDEN, the first raporteur on our country, Mr. DAVIS and Mr. JANSSON, the Chairman of the Committees on political affairs and Legal Affairs and Human Rights who were always ready to help us, and of course President of the Parliamentary Assembly Lord RUSSEL-JOHNSTON and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Mr. SCHWIMMER, who have been giving to our accession their very important political support.

I would also like to thank Mr. HALLER, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly for his very valuable advices concerning all procedural matters related to our accession.

May I take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations and gratitude to the new President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Peter SCHIEDER, to whom I wish success and prosperity in future work.

Mr Chairman,

We are completely aware of the enormous challenge we are faced with and we know that there is much more to be done. We know that this is just a beginning not the end of our journey to integrated Europe. I would like to convey to you our assurances that we are ready for that struggle and that we will do all in our power to enable our country to pass this road in the shortest possible time.

Allow me to remind you that the highest representatives of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently addressed to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe a letter by which we officially accepted the post-accession commitments.

I want to emphasise that we are calling you to provide us with strong monitoring on expert level, which could help us go faster and more substantially in harmonising our legal system with the Council of Europe standards.

We know that the efficiency in real introduction of standards of the Council of Europe in all areas, will be measured by country's attractiveness to foreign direct investments and rebuilding of our economy. Therefore, protection and respect of human rights, strengthening of the rule of law, bringing war criminals and especially their fugitive leader Radovan Karad i in front of justice, building of the State Institutions, market and self-sustainable economy are the grand lines of our future activities.

I would like to point out here one very important aspect of our accession to the Council of Europe. Namely, once a full member of the Council of Europe, the competence of the European Court for Human Rights will be extended on our country.

The existence of this new instrument will have huge positive effect, as one additional and extremely important guarantee for the respect of human rights, and will be a kind of positive pressure, if I may say so, on relevant institutions and ongoing reforms of the entire legal framework and especially judiciary system of our country.

You heard today Wolfgang Petrich, the High Representative of International Community as well as three parlamentarians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are coming from all three constituent peoples, Bosniac, Croat and Serb; from both entities; from governing majority and opposition; from broad political spectrum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, parlamentarians from ethnic and multiethnic parties, but who are all in the same time united in our common commitments towards European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr. Surjan thank you for your call to protect human rights of lonely Balkanian in Scheveningen prison. We will do everything in our power to help our international friends to make the necessary breakthrough in protecting the human rights of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina by arresting and sending Karadjic and Mladic to join their godfather Milosevic.

Finally, allow me to introduce a personal feeling in this address, and to say proudly that here, today, in the Council of Europe, it feels good being the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Today we are proud to show to ourselves, as well as to the rest of the World, that after a long time, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a territory, but a state in the heart of Europe.

In that capacity would once again like to stress our resolve to build a better future for our children.

Bosnia and Herzegovina counts on Council of Europe, and Council of Europe will have in Bosnia and Herzegovina a member devoted to all of its values.

Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

You can count on us.

Thank You.