The Chairman of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović held a bilateral meeting with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (FR Germany) Friedrich Merz.
Bećirović emphasized the active and strong role that Germany plays in preserving peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the overall stability of the Western Balkans. He thanked for the overall support of the Government of Germany, and especially for the participation of German soldiers in the EUFOR/Althea mission.
Bećirović pointed out the extremely good economic cooperation between the two countries. Germany is among the most important trading partners of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total foreign trade exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2025 amounted to 5.87 billion BAM, which is higher by 27.81 million BAM compared to the year 2024.
Bećirović pointed out that Germany is among the most important investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and called for an increase in German investments, especially in the field of renewable and green energy and dedicated industry.
The Chairman of the BiH Presidency welcomed the constructive role of Germany as a member of the steering committee of the Peace Implementation Council and a participant of the Fifth for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He pointed out the importance of appointing the new high representative in the same way as before. He also said that in order to preserve peace and stability, it is crucial that the institution of the High Representative retains the mandate and authority to protect the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Bećirović emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s strategic foreign policy priorities remain full membership in the EU and NATO, and that Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite strong obstructions, has achieved results on its European and Euro-Atlantic path. However, he pointed to the fact that these results would have been much better if there had been no blockades and obstructions by the current leadership of the Republika Srpska entity.
Bećirović emphasized the importance of the proactive role of Chancellor Merz, as well as Germany’s leadership in advancing the EU enlargement process and finding opportunities to speed up the integration of the Western Balkans region with EU policies.
During the meeting, they also discussed Germany’s proposals, presented in Chancellor Merz’s letter dated May 18, related to finding new solutions to speed up the accession process for the Western Balkans.
In this regard, Bećirović placed special emphasis on the possibility of Bosnia and Herzegovina accessing the SEPA payment system as soon as possible, the abolition of roaming, and benefits for BiH transport workers.
Chancellor Merz confirmed FR Germany’s support for the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of the Western Balkans, stressing that the region’s accession to the EU contributes to strengthening the stability and prosperity of the entire continent.
