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BiH expects concrete progress by March towards the first Intergovernmental Conference with the EU, strong support from Croatia confirmed

by AI | 16.Jan 2026 | Europe in brief AI

At the Third Meeting of the Joint Commission of BiH and Croatia on the European Partnership, discussions were held on the implementation of agreed activities, European integration and reforms, with confirmation of Croatia’s strong support for the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The expected reform steps of BiH were highlighted, as well as the importance of cooperation with EU institutions, including Frontex, and the continuation of training and expert assistance to strengthen the capacities of domestic institutions.

Meeting of the Joint Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia (Photo: FENA/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH)

Sarajevo, (Fena) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Brkić and State Secretary for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Andreja Metelko-Zgombić co-chaired the Third Meeting of the Joint Committee for Monitoring the Implementation of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on European Partnership, which was held in Sarajevo.

At the meeting, they discussed the implementation of activities in the areas listed in the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on European Partnership, European integration and reforms, as well as further steps in the work of the Joint Committee.

Brkić referred to the new geopolitical circumstances in the context of the enlargement of the European Union and informed the participants about the activities that Bosnia and Herzegovina is carrying out on its European path. He expressed hope that by March this year BiH will achieve concrete progress in the process of European integration, which would create the conditions for holding the first Intergovernmental Conference and opening accession negotiations. He emphasized that 69.9 percent of BiH citizens support membership in the European Union and that the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina has no alternative.

The State Secretary of the Republic of Croatia Metelko-Zgombić welcomed the signing of the Agreement on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, assessing it as an important step forward on BiH’s European path.

She also recalled the conclusions adopted at the end of last year under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which, along with the continuation of reform processes, call on Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement limited electoral and constitutional reform as soon as possible. She also highlighted the importance of the European Union’s financial incentives, which can facilitate the implementation of reforms in BiH.

The participants of the meeting expressed satisfaction with the cooperation so far and the activities of the competent institutions in implementing the Agreement on European Partnership between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

It was particularly emphasized that, according to data from the Support Program of the Republic of Croatia for the EU integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the past two years a total of 547 participants, mostly BiH civil servants, have taken part in numerous trainings aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills in the field of European integration. The continuation of activities in the field of education and expert assistance to institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina is planned for this year as well. (16.01.)