This was one in a series of meetings at which political officials from the two entities tried to reach agreement on police reform, which is one of the main conditions for the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.
The European Commission insists on the transfer of police authority from entity governments to the central government, the organisation of police forces into ten districts crossing entity borders, and the depoliticising of the police.
Previous meetings were unsuccessful because politicians from the Bosnian Serb entity insist on keeping their own interior ministry and oppose the establishment of police districts crossing entity borders.
Politicians from the Croat-Muslim entity urge the establishment of an interior ministry on the national level and the establishment of police districts covering both entities, that is, crossing entity borders.
Bosnia-Herzegovina's Security Minister Barisa Colak told reporters this evening that participants in today's meeting did not discuss the maps of police districts at all. He said they discussed new police uniforms and police training centres in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was agreed that the Bosnian government should prepare a more concrete plan of police reform until the next meeting, to be held on Mt. Bjelasnica near Sarajevo next week.
Republika Srpska President Pero Bukejlovic said he was satisfied with the meeting, and Bosnian Prime Minister Adnan Terzic said he was glad they had avoided a complete failure of the talks.
High Representative Paddy Ashdown appeared unexpectedly this afternoon at the motel "Karaotok" near Capljina, where the meeting was held. After a lunch with the participants in the meeting, Ashdown told reporters ironically that he did not discuss police reform with them at all, but the food and drinks served at the motel.