The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Gordan Grlić Radman, said that today, as part of his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he proposed strengthening cooperation by starting the work of a joint commission on European partnership, for which there is a legal framework and which would establish a long-term structure that would be useful even after the start accession negotiations for the membership of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union (EU).
Grlić Radman is in Sarajevo on an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he started the visit with a meeting with the head of Bosnia and Herzegovina. of diplomacy by Elmedin Konaković.
The meeting of the two heads of diplomacy and delegations was held in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Grlić Radman pointed out after the meeting that he arrived in Sarajevo with a large delegation and the support of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to welcome political efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pointing out that all the foreign policy achievements were achieved in Croatia, Grlić Radman said that the concern remained for the south-east of Europe for the stability and European perspective of the Western Balkans, and above all BiH.
“I think that this way of acting, with our strong support, but also that of all other European Union members to Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the best guarantee of BiH’s further progress. The EU itself is facing a lot of challenges, major decisions, including the decision to open accession negotiations with potential future members. “Croatia is firmly and sincerely advocating that Bosnia and Herzegovina be included in that process and that the accession negotiations be opened as soon as possible”, Grlić Radman said.
Encouraging the political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue working on reforms in order to strengthen the arguments for the opening of accession negotiations, Grlić Radman said that these reforms also entail changing the Election Law, which implies the stability of the system and the state.
He added that these are solid foundations for a stable, prosperous and European Bosnia and Herzegovina that should be left to future generations.
“In addition to the previous assistance provided by Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the area of knowledge transfer through development regional cooperation and other projects, today I proposed to the interlocutors to strengthen cooperation by starting the work of a joint commission on European partnership, for which there is also a legal framework. This would establish a long-term structure that would be useful even after the start of accession negotiations,” he said.
Expressing Croatia’s willingness to make its expertise, experience and knowledge available for the purpose of planning and establishing BiH’s negotiating structures on the European integration path, Grlić Radman said that Zagreb is ready to send its experts in accordance with the interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He added that they also did this in the context of other Western Balkan countries.
“Croatia, which has established its position internationally as a member of NATO, the EU and the Eurozone, wants to help all of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its peoples and citizens. The policy of the Croatian government is a policy of cooperation, partnership and the desire to find solutions. Our support is sincere, good-neighborly, friendly and benevolent,” Grlić Radman concluded.
Emphasizing that dialogue is the basis of democracy, Grlić Radman said that Croatia will continue to be the most engaged and persuasive advocate of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path.
In the continuation of his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grlić Radman will also meet with members of the Joint Commission for European Integration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A meeting with the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, is also planned, AA reports.
Photo: BHRT/Dario Drmać
