§ 24. Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what conditions the British Government will support Bosnia-Herzegovina's application for membership of the Council of Europe. [112892]
§ Mr. VazThe British Government have supported in principle Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership of the Council of Europe since its application in December 1998. But we believe that Bosnia and Herzegovina must be able to meet the basic commitments and obligations arising from membership. The Council of Europe has set down 12 central preconditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership. It is clear that further progress is still needed towards the requirements set down by the Council of Europe, particularly in areas such as the functioning of the state-level institutions and the passage of an Election Law. We are continuing to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts to meet these requirements and have recently given £50,000 to the Council of Europe for additional assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina specifically for this purpose.