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Sarajevo (Fena) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Brkić met on Monday in Sarajevo with the State Secretary for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Andreja Metelko-Zgombić to discuss Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path.
After the meeting, Brkić told reporters that after the opening of negotiations with the European Union, we are going into the second part of the screening and preparing Bosnia and Herzegovina for real negotiations with the EU. According to him, the Republic of Croatia, as the youngest EU member state and someone who has gone through this path, can help us a lot.
He stated that he believes that in the second half of this year there will be an intergovernmental conference, which would mean a formal date for the opening of negotiations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union.
– I believe we can use this momentum, that the European Commission, which today is parallelly working on the negotiation framework that the EU must adopt with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and our reforms, can bring us to a situation where we have a negotiation framework adopted by the EU, which is a prerequisite for the first intergovernmental conference. I believe it will happen during Hungary’s presidency of the European Union, which is the second half of this year – outlined Brkić.
He says he also discussed with Metelko-Zgombić the equally important Euro-Atlantic path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, towards NATO, noting that the Republic of Croatia has very concretely and directly supported the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina with an amount of more than 500,000 euros.
The State Secretary for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Andreja Metelko-Zgombić says that, after the decision of the European Council to start negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the next step is to coordinate the negotiation framework and the first intergovernmental conference that will physically open the negotiations. Before that, certain reform efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina are necessary.
She repeated that Croatia is a partner to Bosnia and Herzegovina “in the best faith and with the best intentions.”
– We believe that in the forthcoming period Bosnia and Herzegovina can show that it is ready for such a path that ultimately brings economic benefits, and then benefits for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the constituent peoples living in Bosnia and Herzegovina – said Metelko-Zgombić, adding that now is the time for Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue this path, as the doors are now open on the side of the EU.
According to her, it is good that along with the request for reforms, the EU is now providing concrete financial resources that will facilitate the implementation of these reforms.
– We think that accession to the EU and alignment with legislation, with reforms, including the reform that would allow legitimate representation of all peoples in those institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina where it is provided by the Constitution and where it is required, is the only right developmental path for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all other countries involved in the enlargement process – stated Metelko-Zgombić.
She emphasized that there is no real reason for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stalling on the European path.
– The truth is that we have European elections ahead, after which the institutions and the leaders of these institutions in the EU will be established. However, this in no way slows down or complicates Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path – concluded Metelko-Zgombić. (20.5.)