Director of the Office of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stephen Glaser, and Acting Prime Minister of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Mirnes Bašić signed today a Memorandum of Understanding.

Today's signing represents a significant step forward in the fight against corruption in B&H. The agreement will allow the embassy to provide a wide range of assistance, including mentoring in response to corruption, technical equipment and assistance in drafting new laws and regulations designed to strengthen this new Anti-Corruption Office, the US Embassy said.

Continued political support from the Zenica-Doboj Canton Government will also be needed to ensure that this new office has the freedom to effectively identify and prevent corruption and, through an integrated approach, work with police and cantonal prosecutors to bring those who engage in corruption to justice.

-Corruption is cancer for democracy. It endangers the citizens and blocks B&H's European aspirations. The B&H authorities have too little interest in tackling corruption and therefore I welcome the commitment of the Acting Prime Minister Bašić and his government to establish a new anti-corruption office in ZDC. In our support, we will use a model of the Office for the Fight against Corruption established in the Sarajevo Canton, headed by Dr. Erduan Kafedžić.-

The United States Embassy will continue to support B&H's efforts to fight corruption, it is said in the statement.