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 Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on European Partnership, which was held on 15 January 2026 in Sarajevo.
The meeting discussed the implementation of activities in the areas specified in the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on European Partnership, European integration and reforms, and further steps in the work of the Joint Commission.
Deputy Minister 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 his hope that by March this year, BiH will achieve concrete progress in the European integration process, which would create the prerequisites for holding the first Intergovernmental Conference and opening accession negotiations. He stressed that 69.9 percent of BiH citizens support membership in the European Union and that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path has no alternative.
State Secretary Metelko-Zgombić welcomed the signing of the Agreement on Operational Activities implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, describing it as an important step forward on BiH’s European path. She also recalled the conclusions reached at the end of last year within the framework of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which called on Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to continuing the reform processes, to implement limited electoral and constitutional reform as soon as possible. She also stressed the importance of financial incentives from the European Union that can facilitate the implementation of reforms in BiH.
The participants of the meeting expressed their satisfaction with the cooperation and activities of the competent institutions so far in the implementation of the European Partnership Agreement between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia. It was particularly emphasized that, according to the data of the Republic of Croatia’s Support Program for the EU Integration Process of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the past two years a total of 547 participants, mostly civil servants of BiH, participated in numerous training courses aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills in the field of European integration. Continuation of activities in the field of training and professional assistance to institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina is planned for this year as well.
