The new head of Austrian diplomacy, Michael Linhart, arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) yesterday, and during his visit to Sarajevo, he explained why, after taking over the function of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, he chose BiH as the country he would visit first.
“The Western Balkans and the enlargement of the European Union (EU) to the Western Balkans are close things to me. This part is still missing for Europe to be complete and to fill the mosaic. As High Representative (HR), we play an important role and that is why I would like to support him with this visit and send a signal that he is important for the functioning of institutions, for the unity of BiH, and for strengthening its European dimension, ” stated Linhart.
Asked by reporters to comment on recent developments in BiHand new secessionist announcements coming from the Republika Srpska (RS), Linhart emphasized that the stability and security of the region are guaranteed.
In the context of the story of EU enlargement, he also commented on France’s current view on the enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans, since that country is considered one of the EU members who have “enlargement fatigue”, which was especially seen on the example of Albania and NorthMacedonia.
“Austria works closely with France, especially on the methodology of bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU. We have worked with them on very specific projects to make people aware of how important the Balkans is not only for Austrians but also for French and whole Europe, ” pointed out Linhart.
The Austrian foreign minister also announced his visit to Brussels, which is planned for next Monday, and noted that the Western Balkans would be one of the topics of conversation with Brussels officials.
E.Dz.
Source: Klix.ba
