14 September 1995

Doc. 7382

REQUEST FOR AN OPINION

FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS TO THE ASSEMBLY

on the accession of Bosnia-Herzegovina

to the Council of Europe

RESOLUTION (95) 21

ON BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 September 1995

at the 544th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

      The Committee of Ministers,

      Considering that the Government of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in its letter of 10 April 1995 addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, expressed the wish to be invited to become a member of the Council of Europe and declared its readiness to respect the principles stated in Article 3 of the Statute and to become Party to the European Convention on Human Rights;

      Recalling that the Parliamentary Assembly was informed by the then Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers, Mr. A. P. Michaelides, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, during its part-Session in May 1995, that the Committee of Ministers had received a request for membership from Bosnia-Herzegovina,

1.       Welcomes the acceptance by the interested parties, in Geneva, on 8 September 1995, of basic principles for a peace agreement, and expresses its wish that a lasting political solution can rapidly be confirmed and implemented in order to ensure peace and stability in the region. Thus, the Committee of Ministers decides to transmit this request to the Parliamentary Assembly;

2.       Expresses the wish to keep in close contact with the Parliamentary Assembly on the evolution of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and its relations with the Council of Europe;

3.       Affirms its willingness to deepen its dialogue with the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina and provide support through its co-operation and assistance programmes, with a view to facilitating and accelerating Bosnia-Herzegovina's transition to democracy, and enabling it to join the Council of Europe as soon as possible.