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LOBBYING CAMPAIGN the Governments of Bosnia and Herze- Govina, Croatia and Status and Property Issues Montenegro

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LOBBYING CAMPAIGN the Governments of Bosnia and Herze- Govina, Croatia and Status and Property Issues Montenegro Igman Initiative newsletter SPECIAL POINTS VOLUME I, ISSUE IV 21.08.2012. OF INTEREST: Co-presidents of the Igman Initiative lobbied LOBBYING CAMPAIGN the governments of Bosnia and Herze- govina, Croatia and Status and Property Issues Montenegro IGMAN INITIATIVE CO- tegration of the former Yugo- Delegation of the Ig- the Dayton Agreement. PRESIDENTS MET WITH THE slavia, as well as concrete and man Initiative convened The lobbying campaign was GOVERNMENT AND EU OF- feasible recommendations meeting with the EU an opportunity for the Igman FICIALS FROM THE SIGNA- aimed at relevant ministries officials Initiative delegation to intro- TORY COUNTRIES OF THE and parliamentary bodies in Igman Initiative pro- duce the expert team recom- DAYTON AGREEMENT. the four countries. On the duced 4 TV Debates on occasion of the "White Pa- In the second half of the Citizens’ Status and per" presentation in Sarajevo, Property Issues month June, the Co- Mr. Renzo Davidi, Head of presidents of the Igman Initi- EU Delegation to B&H stated Traditional School of ative and the coordinators of that this was the first time Democracy on the Is- the project: “Experts' Elabo- land of Brac that the EU Commission was ration on Unresolved Issues introduced to such precise Up and coming Igman Between the States Signato- and practical recommenda- Initiative Session ries to the Dayton Agree- mendations from the "White tions on how to permanently ment - Citizens’ Status and Paper” and lobby for their resolve these particular is- Property Issues" convened adoption and implementation. sues. meetings with the highest Namely, this expert study ranking government as well as contains the analysis of the I N S I D E European Union officials in citizens’ status and property THIS ISSUE: the countries signatories of issues as a result of the disin- Lobbying 1 Campaign Bosnia and Herzegovina Meetings with Bosnia and recommendations from the est representative body of Bosnia TV Debates 3 Herzegovina officials held on “White Paper”.Mr. Kuzmanović and Herzegovina to address 13 June in Sarajevo. said that the contents of the them is rather favorable. Radmila School of 4 Aleksandar Popov, co-president "White Paper" is very useful and Mitrović, Deputy Minister for Democracy of the Igman Initiative for Serbia, constructive when it comes to Human Rights and Refugees, Vehid Šehić co-president for BiH solving the status and property along with her colleagues, agreed Igman Initia- 4 issues of citizens and refugees. with the high estimation of the tive Sessions and Zoran Pusić, co-president for Croatia met with Zeljko Kuz- He also pointed out that the views and recommendations in manović, Chief of Staff of Milorad recommendations will soon be the White Paper, and promised Živković, President of the Lower presented to the Parliamentary that they would be incorporated House of the Parliament of B&H, Assembly Deputies, given that into the strategy of the Ministry and acquainted him with the the atmosphere within the high- and the Government. P A G E 2 In view of the high quality of on the state officials to solve the expert work, Renzo Da- the issues addressed in the vidi, Deputy Head of the EU White Paper, as well as to Delegation to Bosnia and Her- promote the results of the zegovina, suggested that the project among the wider audi- EU Delegation organize a torium. Mr. Davidi suggested round table in Sarajevo which that similar round tables be will be attended by Bosnia and organized in the other three Herzegovina’s government signatory countries of the Day- officials, diplomatic representa- ton Agreement. tives of other three countries of the Dayton Agreement as well as media. This event shall be an opportunity to addition- ally induce positive pressure Croatia On 21 June 2012, Zoran Pusić, it can to write off the debt in Parliament. Vehid Šehić and Aleksandar Po- cases when a citizen loses Paul Vandoren, Head of the pov, co-presidents of the Igman dispute due to the obsoles- EU Delegation to the Republic Initiative, visited the representa- cence, generating high litiga- of Croatia, said that the rec- tives of the relevant ministries tion costs. Furijo Radin, the ommendations from the and the Parliament in order to President of the Committee "White Paper" were very im- lobby for the implementation of for Human Rights and Minority portant and that in the process recommendations in the White Rights of the Croatian Parlia- of lobbying the EU Delegation Paper. Stanko Janjić, Assistant ment, in an interview with the shall provide full support to Minister for Regional Develop- co-presidents said he was the Igman Initiative for the ment and EU Funds, pointed out familiar with the recommenda- implementation of these rec- that "the new government shall tions and that they had hit the ommendations. He too agreed pass a law by which property and target. He believes that in the to organize a roundtable at the the statutory rights of the citi- Parliament there was a posi- Delegation of the EU in Sep- zens do not become obsolete as tive atmosphere to solve those tember, to which the repre- it was controversial in previous issues. He pointed out that all sentatives of the Parliament, cases." Mr. Janjić also stated that the bills of law that originate ministries and media will be the new government intends to from the Government, which invited, in order to influence make amendments to all the are linked to the solution of the decision-makers more subsequent laws relating to ten- these problems, would defi- ancy rights and will do everything nitely get full support in the effectively. Montenegro At the meeting with Igor On June 27th 2012, towards the relevant institu- Lukšić, Prime Minister of Mon- Branko Lukovac, Ve- tions because it appears as a tenegro, Branko Lukovac sug- hid Šehić and Aleksan- successful integrating mecha- gested that the government dar Popov, co- nism for both government and should form a team that will be presidents of the Ig- civil society, which will be responsible for monitoring the man Initiative and moving towards the solution extent to which the recom- Branko Radulović, a to the problem. He suggested mendations would have been member of a team of that the views and recommen- implemented. Mr. Lukšić experts in Podgorica dations from the "White Pa- praised the work of the Igman were received by all per" were to be discussed at Initiative, particularly the col- the highest state offi- the next Government session, laborative attitude it shows cials of Montenegro. and that the relevant ministries IGMAN INITIATIVE NEW S L E T T E R VOLUME I, ISSUE IV P A G E 3 to persevere in their political conti- ed out that in evaluating the pro- nuity. He promised that the Monte- gress of Montenegro on its path should consider which of these negrin Parliament will do everything towards the EU, which will be recommendations can be enforced within its authority to implement made in October, one part will and in what timeframe, about which the recommendations of the Igman surely regard the implementation of co-presidents of the Igman Initiative Initiative experts. The representa- the recommendations of the Igman are to be informed. Representatives tives of the Igman Initiative had a Initiative expert team. It was also of the Igman Initiative also met with meeting at the EU Delegation in agreed that the EU delegation in the Minister of Internal Affairs of Podgorica with the Deputy Head of Montenegro is to host the round Montenegro, Ivan Brajević, who the Delegation Alberto Cammarata, table in early autumn whereupon said that the "White Paper" tackles who expressed his satisfaction that the implemen- the issues that his Ministry encoun- the recommendations were well tation of the ters and that he would provide his accepted by the Government of recommenda- assistance in their solving. Montenegro. According to Cam- tions of the Ranko Krivokapić, the President of marata, it is important for the rec- expert team the Montenegro Assembly praised ommendations to be adopted and will be dis- the Igman Initiative engagement that implemented, and it is upon the cussed. works to renew cooperation be- Igman Initiative to monitor their tween the countries of the former enforcement and put positive pres- Yugoslavia, and appealed for them sure on decision makers. He point- TV DEBATES-Status and Property Issues BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - TV de- ous questions from the areas in which dations that are primarily related to the bate in which the results and recommenda- they were particularly interested. recovery or returning of property, restitu- tions of the "Experts' Elaboration of Unre- tion of tenancy rights, as well as to the right CROATIA - The White Paper was pre- solved Issues Between the Signatory Coun- to a pension. Branko Đukić, the chairman of sented to the Croatian public via Capital tries of the Dayton Agreement – Citizens’ the Association of the Affected Pensioners Network TV by Zoran Pusić, the co- Property and Status Issues" were presented 91 - 98 and Jovica Brkić, from the Associa- president of the Igman initiative and Boris to the wider auditorium in Bosnia and Her- tion of Persons Affected by Terrorist Activ- Knežević, an expert team member from zegovina via BN TV Bijeljina. The results and ities, "Pravda" from Bjelovar also participat- Croatia. Pusić stressed that the things recommendations of the project were pre- ed in this show, and they spoke about the with regards to creating political will to sented by Vehid Šehić, Project Coordinator real problems of members of their associa- compensate people who had suffered as well as Ratko Bubalo, the Expert Team tions whereupon the experts study can be damage during the war on various Leader.
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