I am extremely pleased to host today’s conference in support of the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to chair this meeting together with President Kreso and Chief Prosecutor Barasin;

The establishment of the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina were among the key achievements of the overall reform of the judiciary in BiH. The Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH are also crucial State Institutions able to ensure the full enforcement of the rule of law in BiH.

It is because of this firm conviction that the International Community has invested in the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina over 45 Million Euros since their establishment. I believe that these funds have been well spent as they contributed towards making Bosnia and Herzegovina a country where the rule of law prevails and in turn makes it safer, more stable and more democratic.

Today’s meeting is yet another demonstration of the international community’s continued support towards the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH. We will listen to the President of the Court and the Chief Prosecutor who will explain their strategy and plan for the future. I also hope that the international community will be able to address certain of the needs of those institutions, in particular in term of funding.

I would like to stress in this regard that both my office and the PIC Steering Board embassadors remain fully committed to the fight against organised crime, corruption and terrorism as well as strengthening the rule of law in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Obviously, we all believe in this room that nationalisation of the institutions is the aim and that domestic jurist can handle important challenges that lay ahead of those institutions. This is the rationale behind my decisions of 14 of December.

However, it is also clear that nationalisation will require political support not only from the international community but also by the BiH authorities. In this respect, I am concerned of the impact that the rejection of the proposed BiH budget will have on the Court and Prosecutor’s Office.

To conclude, today’s conference is a demonstration of the International Community’s unequivocal belief and commitment that the fight against organised crime, corruption and terrorism as well as strengthening the rule of law in Bosnia Herzegovina are crucial on the road to a more democratic, peaceful, stable country irreversibly on the track of Euro-Atlantic integration.