Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic on Thursday said that Bosniak-civic parties are ready to reach a deal on amending the country's electoral law and implementing other reforms, and called on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to join them instead of provoking conflicts.

Konakovic, leader of the People and Justice Party, told a press conference in Sarajevo that he had made a decision some time ago not to comment on provocations by “political bullies”, including Dodik, and that this also referred to Dodik's statements on 9 January, an unconstitutional holiday observed in the Serb entity.

Dodik's secessionist threats will have no effect. We will protect the Constitutional Court by all means, said the minister.

Leaders of Croat and Bosniak-civic parties that make up the ruling majority in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday held a meeting at which they expressed readiness to meet the requirements for opening membership talks with the European Union.

Konakovic today said that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Ministers Andrej Plenkovic of Croatia and Mark Rutte of the Netherlands would soon visit Sarajevo to give an additional impetus to efforts to implement reforms necessary for Bosnia and Herzegovina to draw closer to the EU.

Konakovic called on Dodik to join in efforts to speed up Bosnia and Herzegovina's journey towards the EU.

Amending the election legislation is one of the most demanding challenges. Croat parties expect the practice of outvoting Croats, the least numerous constituent people, in elections for BiH's three-member presidency to cease. On the other hand, Bosniak politicians insist on eliminating discrimination against citizens who do not claim affiliation to any particular ethnic group, as determined by judgements of the European Court of Human Rights.

Leading Bosnian Serb parties are now refusing to take part in talks on a new election law and have announced that they will adopt a separate, entity law and just organise local elections set for October.

Changes to the election law, primarily technical ones that concern the protection of the integrity of the election process, are one of the conditions the European Commission expects Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet so that in March it can recommend the opening of accession talks with the country.