WEBVTT

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Good afternoon, journalists.
Thank you for attending

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the Slovenian Prime Minister
Robert Golob's visit to BiH

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in such a large number.

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We just concluded
the meeting of two delegations.

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The Bosnian delegation
was led by Borjana Krišto,

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Chairwoman of the
Council of Ministers of BiH,

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and the Slovenian delegation
was led by Prime Minister Golob.

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Chairwoman Krišto will tell you
more about the meeting.

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Go ahead,
Madame Chairwoman.

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Thank you. Good afternoon
and thank you for you interest

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in the visit by the Slovenian
Prime Minister Robert Golob.

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I would first like to say
how appreciative I am

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that Prime Minister Golob
chose Bosnia and Herzegovina

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for his first visit.

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I thank him
for the friendship

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that Slovenia is showing Bosnia
and Herzegovina in this way.

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We have traditionally had
good relations with Slovenia

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in all aspects of life,
I would say,

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especially in the field
of economic relations.

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The Republic of Slovenia
is one of the top three

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in terms of foreign investors
in Bosnia in Herzegovina.

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I would very much like to thank
the Slovenian Prime Minister

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for everything they do

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for Bosnia and Herzegovina
and its Euro-Atlantic integration.

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Regarding
Bosnia and Herzegovina's

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European
and Euro-Atlantic integration

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I would especially
like to thank Slovenia

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for advocating BiH
receiving European status.

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For Bosnia and Herzegovina
this means that,

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at least in the legal sense,
we are now

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one step closer to becoming
part of the European family.

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This candidate status
truly sends the message

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that there is a place

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for Bosnia and Herzegovina
in the European family.

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I would like
to thank Slovenia

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for all the expert and technical
assistance it has given us.

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The procedures are such that they
require a certain legal method,

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but we intend to sign an agreement
with Slovenia

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on cooperating and lending expert
and technical assistance to BiH

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for European
and Euro-Atlantic integration.

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I also informed
Prime Minister Golob

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that the Council of Ministers
is focusing

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precisely on these
European reforms

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and that the Council
has already made some steps

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in regard to reforming Public
Administration, the internal market,

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the competitiveness
of infrastructure projects

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and everything else that is required
for the operation of subcommittees

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between BiH
and the European Union

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as per the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement.

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What we in Bosnia and Herzegovina
also need to be mindful of

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is that we are working on
political opportunities

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and interpolitical dialogue,

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seeing as Bosnia and Herzegovina
is constitutionally

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a country of three nations
and other citizens.

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Our aim is to make limited changes
to the Bosnian constitution

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and completely reform
electoral legislation

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based on the
constitutional equality

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of all three constituent nations
and other citizens.

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We would thereby
also remove the questions

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that are currently burdening
the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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and its European integration,

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which would allow us to better
implement socio-economic reforms,

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which are very important
and in the interest

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of all nations and citizens
of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

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as well as a condition
for accession to the EU.

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We are also focusing
on regional cooperation.

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We want to strengthen
regional cooperation

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by building and maintaining friendly
relations with our neighbours

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through existing initiatives

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for maintaining good relations
and regional cooperation,

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by appreciating and building peace
within neighbourly relations,

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by the preservation
of each country's sovereignty

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and by solving all open
or controversial questions

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by way of peaceful dialogue

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and by complying
with international legal norms.

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Once again, I would
like to thank Slovenia

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for coming,
showing support

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and everything it does in regard to
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thank you.

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Thank you, Chairwoman Krišto.
Prime Minister Golob, go ahead.

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Thank you for the warm welcome,
Chairwoman Krišto,

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and for giving me the opportunity
to come to Sarajevo

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and speak directly with you
and your colleagues

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on how to accelerate Bosnia and
Herzegovina's accession to the EU.

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Why am I here today?

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A significant change
happened in Slovenia,

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a change in foreign policy.

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A change that relies
on the strict use

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of principles of solidarity
between nations

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if we want to actually achieve
political stability in the world.

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Only once we have
political stability

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can we talk about
economic development

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and the prosperity
of all people.

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And where,
if not in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

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can these principles
best be realised?

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Bosnia and Herzegovina
needs solidarity the most

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due to its past.

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And because we are
almost neighbours,

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Slovenia wishes for stability
in Bosnia and Herzegovina the most.

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And, as was previously said,
Slovenia has been investing most

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into the development of the entire
economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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That is why this choice
is clear to me

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and why our efforts in Brussels
make complete sense.

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There is no fine print.

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We truly are motivated by the
progress of the entire region,

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as Slovenia
also prospers by this.

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The main message today
is a dual one.

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I would like to sincerely and
clearly explain to my co-speakers

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how the atmosphere regarding Bosnia
has changed in Brussels.

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The change over the past
six months is historic.

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The process of expansion was,
in fact, held back for 20 years

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through
so-called technical issues.

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The expansion of the European Union
has now become a political process

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that we wish to accelerate.

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The first message is that BiH
now has a historical opportunity

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to make use
of the changed circumstances

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in order to accelerate its way
toward European integration.

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The second message is that Slovenia
does not only wish to be

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a friend to Bosnia and Herzegovina
on its way toward accession,

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but also its biggest ally.

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To that end we will offer
all possible assistance

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by way of of experts, regulations,
technical assistance,

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as well as funding,
so that Bosnia and Herzegovina

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can actually take
this historic opportunity.

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To finish,
in our talks we also highlighted

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that we see great potential
for Bosnia and Herzegovina's

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economic development
and economic relations

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to be raised
to a higher level

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and that BiH has immense potential
in renewable resources,

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which we
and Slovenian investors

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wish to invest in heavily
in the future.

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Thank you.
-Thank you, Prime Minister Golob.

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Due to the delegations'
other engagements

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we ask that you limit
your questions to two per person.

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Introduce yourselves and state
who the questions are for.

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Let us start
with our guests.

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Boštjan Anžin,
RTV Slovenija.

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Prime Minister Golob,
you spoke of technical assistance.

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Can you clarify
the scope of this assistance?

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And Chairwoman Krišto,
you spoke of dialogue.

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Could you comment on the
negotiations taking place in Serbia?

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Tomorrow they may
perhaps adopt a law

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that will once again
criminalise slander.

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We keep talking about
the Law on property.

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I would like to know
the scope of this dialogue

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and how quickly
you can fulfill the 14 priorities

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that were set
by the European Commission?

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I will answer first.
Thank you for your question.

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If I may, I will give some advice
regarding those 14 priorities.

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My advice
is to not prioritise them

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but to solve
the simplest ones first.

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That is the easiest way
for the government in Sarajevo

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to prove to Brussels
a sincere desire for progress.

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Regarding our
technical assistance,

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we set aside an additional
one million Euros in our budget

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to directly support
the first activities.

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As far as I know, activities will
first begin in two fields,

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one is national statistics

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and the other is the prosecution
of international crime.

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Slovenian and Bosnian police have
a particularly good relationship.

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We would really like to elevate
this excellent cooperation

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to our assistance
in coordinating legislation.

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Thank you,
next question.

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Chairwoman Krišto? -I was just
about to answer. -My apologies.

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My apologies as well. Thank you
very much for your question

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regarding interpolitical dialogue
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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You asked
how to reach dialogue

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and how to fulfill
the 14 priorities

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set by the
European Commission.

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The Council of Ministers and I
are focusing

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on mutual appreciation
and dialogue.

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In accordance with the
Rules of Procedure and the law

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the Council of Ministers
operates based on consensus.

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Without consensus there is
no agenda, no Council

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or any decisions
made at this level.

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What I want to say is that we will
unite around our common goal

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regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I also believe

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that these 14 priorities
are in the interest

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of all of us
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Concerning the structure
of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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I must say that we have to respect
the constitutional structure

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and jurisdictional division of
bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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This also points us

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to already established
mechanisms of coordination,

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which we must abide by,
and I hope that

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with this sort of dialogue
we will still keep moving forward

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because that
is our obligation,

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because it benefits all nations
and citizens in BiH,

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and also because
it is one of the conditions.

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I don't wish to talk about the
jurisdiction of other institutions.

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They can enact regulations within
their constitutional jurisdiction,

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but that is why there are
corrective factors

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of the legislature
and the executive branch

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that have the last word
in such matters. Thank you.

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Thank you, next question.
Please, go ahead.

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Al Jazeera Balkans.
Prime Minister Golob,

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you said that circumstances
changed in Brussels

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regarding the candidate status
of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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You also said that Slovenia
has shown itself

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to be a great friend and partner
to Bosnia and Herzegovina,

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but that did not
really help BiH

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because Bosnia was not
really willing or determined

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to fulfill those conditions.

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Now there is discussion
among some academic circles

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about changing
the approach again

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by fulfilling the obligations
for candidacy in phases.

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Is this also being talked about
at the level of EU Member States?

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And if I may,
a question for Chairwoman Krišto.

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Before you took office
we heard many big words

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about the determination of BiH
to fulfill its tasks.

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Could you name a few things
that BiH could boast about

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regarding the fulfillment
of these obligations

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since assuming office to today?
Thank you.

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Would you like to start?
-All right. Thank you ...

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Thank you for your question.

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You asked whether we can boast
with something concrete we did.

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I said in the introduction
that in a few sessions

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the Council of Ministers
has made certain steps forward.

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We formed documents for the
reform of Public Administration

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that also fulfill
conditions for accession

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and concern the functioning
of subcommittees at this level.

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They are a requirement

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from the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement

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Some concern
the internal market

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and the competitiveness
of infrastructure projects.

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And you will all
be interested to hear

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that we are currently focusing
on creating a budget

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for Bosnian institutions
and international obligations.

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Of course, knowing the circumstances
in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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it was not easy to come
to a budget proposal

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for Bosnian institutions
for 2023,

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seeing as we have not yet adopted
a global fiscal framework.

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We did make a budget proposal
and I hope that

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in one of the following sessions
of the Council of Ministers

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the proposal
will be adopted

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and ultimately sent
to the Parliamentary Assembly.

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I think that
this is a significant step forward

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for relations, circumstances and
the functioning of institutions.

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I can tell you
that we are currently preparing

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a number
of legislative proposals

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that are also a requirement
for the European Commission.

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They concern
the Department of Justice

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and laws concerning the High
Judicial and Prosecutorial Council

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and other laws concerning
the democratisation of relations

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in terms of rule of law and BiH
functioning as a legal state.

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You are right.

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Circumstances have changed

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because of Russia's
aggression toward Ukraine.

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These changed circumstances
have contributed

00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:54.360
to the EU now being more aware
of the importance of stability

00:22:54.606 --> 00:22:59.833
across the entire region
of the Western Balkans.

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Excuse me, Prime Minister,
could you please repeat this part?

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It is because of these
changed circumstances

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that certain Member States that
have previously been skeptical

00:23:36.942 --> 00:23:39.815
regarding the expansion process

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are now ready to have
a political conversation

00:23:45.489 --> 00:23:48.958
about the fact that
the only way forward

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for the Western Balkans
is joining the EU.

00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:22.458
Concurrently with this

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there is a significant strategic
conversation going on within the EU

00:24:30.794 --> 00:24:38.013
on how to best connect the
European Union with its neighbours.

00:24:38.450 --> 00:24:41.669
Let us call this
"soft expansion".

00:24:42.161 --> 00:24:45.391
How to establish
a strategic connection

00:24:45.512 --> 00:24:48.364
between the EU
and its neighbours.

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One of the possible scenarios
that we in Slovenia also support

00:25:19.114 --> 00:25:23.294
is the scenario
of expansion in phases,

00:25:23.415 --> 00:25:28.080
where, during the entire time
of making progress,

00:25:28.533 --> 00:25:31.038
that progress
is also reflected

00:25:31.159 --> 00:25:35.200
in concrete benefits
for the candidate state,

00:25:35.749 --> 00:25:40.765
so that it is not all bound
to joining the European Union

00:25:40.984 --> 00:25:43.741
but so that the
candidate can have

00:25:43.862 --> 00:25:47.234
individual benefits
long before joining.

00:25:47.538 --> 00:25:52.992
Especially in the field of education
and economic development.

00:26:23.429 --> 00:26:28.093
That is why it is so important

00:26:28.214 --> 00:26:32.851
to be ambitious
in adopting reforms.

00:26:33.390 --> 00:26:36.155
Each adopted reform
opens up space

00:26:36.276 --> 00:26:41.038
for coming to a concrete agreement
with the European Union

00:26:41.159 --> 00:26:43.327
before becoming a Member,

00:26:43.624 --> 00:26:47.726
which can then directly
benefit the citizens.

00:26:47.874 --> 00:26:50.093
That is this
approach in phases.

00:27:13.164 --> 00:27:21.109
Thank you, we are hereby conclucing
today's statements. -Thank you.