Oslobođenje: After yesterday’s session of the state Government, the chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Nikola Špirić has said that almost all conditions from the Road Map for liberalization of visa regime have been fulfilled. He has pointed out that the only thing that needs to be done at the next session, which will be held before the end of September, is adopting the strategy for combat against the money laundry, and that by then the question of location of server for the police data exchange will probably be solved.

Biometric passports

The information of the Ministry of Civil Affairs on the activities implemented by competent authorities and the beginning of allocating for biometric travel documents as one of the key conditions for liberalization of visa regime for BiH citizens has also been adopted. The Ministry is obligated, in accordance with the Law on Travel Documents of BiH, to adopt the decision on beginning of issuing biometric passports. The information points out that the institutions of all government levels in BiH are ready for the beginning of issuing biometric passports by using the improved system of documents, in which all the authorities from so called identity chain in BiH have been included.

Špirić will organize the ministerial conference, in order for the Deputy Minister of Security of BiH and entity ministers of internal affairs to reach the agreement related to location of the police data exchange.

At yesterday’s session the Council of Ministers of BiH has determined a list of acts from the obligations of our country defined in the Road Map, among which is the Proposal Law on the corruption prevention and combat against corruption coordination agency. By this law, the agency, whose goal is prevention from influences of corruption on development and respecting basic human rights and freedoms, as well as influences on depraving economic development of BiH, and all other kinds of influences on social values and for combat against corruption coordination, is being established. This agency will be independent and an autonomous administrative organization, under the supervision of the Parliament of BiH.

There has also been established the Strategy for combat against corruption and the Action plan for its implementation for the period from 2009 – 2014. General goals of the Strategy are reducing the level of corruption, drafting the strategic frame and joint standards, which will be used in BiH, and strengthening the trust in government institutions at all levels. The Action plan for implementing the strategy contains more than 80 measures, which should be implemented by the institutions of BiH by 2014.        

There has also been adopted the Immigration profile of BiH. It will ensure to the Council of Ministers of BiH an insight into the key trends in the area of immigration, and to the Ministry of Security a possibility of drafting the qualitative policies and adopting the qualitative regulations. At the same time, by this document, the competent international organizations will be enabled a whole insight into the immigration trends in BiH. The Strategy for combat against crime 2009-2012 has also been adopted. Adopted has also been the State action plan of combat against misuse of narcotics. Strategic areas for the period 2009-2013 will be prevention, education, statistics and research, healing, rehabilitation, re-socialization, reduction of damage, reduction of offer and establishing the system for combat against misuse of narcotics. Adopted has also been the Strategy of reintegration of returners on the basis of the Readmission agreement.