CHIEF PROSECUTOR MET AND DISCUSSED WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina - H.E. Tomaš Szunyog visited the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and met with the Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH - Goran Salihović.

The Chief Prosecutor informed the Ambassador about the performance and activities as well as the plans for strengthening the capacities of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH in the future.

"In 2013 the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has issued indictments against 469 persons, which is the largest number of indictees in the history of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and is some 30% higher than the no. in 2012" stated Chief Prosecutor Salihović during the discussion.

The Chief Prosecutor pointed out that the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, together with police and law enforcement agencies in BiH, undertakes decisive actions in the process of establishing the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that it is ready to counter all forms of crime, in particular international crime, which is under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.

"The priorities in the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of BIH in the coming period will be war crimes cases, organized crime and corruption," - stated Chief Prosecutor Salihović.

Ambassador Szunyog informed the Chief Prosecutor about the planned arrival of experts from the Agency for Development of the Czech Republic, an institution that assists with institutional capacity building - including that of the judiciary, and who have expressed a wish to soon visit the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.

Ambassador Szunyog stated that the Government of the Czech Republic supports the process of establishing the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an essential element in the process of European integration of our country.

"The Government of the Czech Republic has and will help strengthen the capacities of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future, as well as support the independence of the judiciary" - stated Ambassador Szunyog.

The Ambassador stressed that he supports the independence of the judiciary based on European standards as well as the independent process of appointment of Judges and Prosecutors.

The possibilities of cooperation between prosecutorial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic were also discussed at the meeting.