On July 10, 2026, BiH Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Josip Brkić participated in the meeting of foreign ministers of the group “Friends of the Western Balkans” and ministers of foreign affairs of the Western Balkans held in Rome.
During his participation in the session “One Union, One Target Line: Shaping Future Accession Agreements”, Deputy Minister Brkić pointed out that the enlargement of the European Union is no longer just a policy of transformation of the candidate countries, but a strategic investment in the security, resilience and future of the Union itself. He emphasized that EU membership is a strategic goal and the highest foreign policy priority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that the accession process must remain stable, predictable and based on merit, while reform efforts should bring concrete benefits to citizens. He also emphasized that each candidate should progress in accordance with his own achievements in reforms, without additional political conditions beyond the agreed criteria for accession, but also that the European Union must remain consistent in fulfilling its own obligations. “The credibility of enlargement depends not only on the candidate country’s readiness for reforms, but also on the Union’s ability to meet expectations when the conditions are met,” Brkić pointed out.
During his presentation, he also welcomed deeper sectoral integration into the EU Single Market and initiatives that strengthen the feeling of belonging to the European family. He especially emphasized that the strengthening of democratic institutions, the rule of law, energy security and resistance to malignant foreign influence is a common interest of both the European Union and our region. Deputy Brkić thanked the Friends of the Western Balkans group for their consistent support, stressing that enlargement will only be successful if it remains based on equal rules, mutual trust and a credible European perspective. At the end of the presentation, he emphasized the importance of the formal decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina – the adoption of the framework for negotiations and the convening of the first intergovernmental conference for the further progress of the country.
In his address during the session “Strategic autonomy: Ensuring food, supply chains and connectivity – a European challenge”, Deputy Brkić pointed out that our country has significant natural resources and a tradition of the food industry, but that the potential must be turned into competitiveness through the modernization of agriculture, digitization and harmonization with EU standards. He stated that connectivity is equally important – the completion of Corridor Vc, integration into the TENT network and a sustainable solution for professional drivers directly strengthen the security of trade flows. Energy connectivity, including the strategic project of the Southern Gas Interconnection, further strengthens the resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. All these initiatives, as he pointed out, confirm that European strategic autonomy will not be complete without stronger integration of the Western Balkans.
The group “Friends of the Western Balkans” is a format that brings together 7 member states of the European Union that actively support the European path of the countries of the region, encourage regional cooperation and provide strong political and practical support to the enlargement process. The meeting in Rome, chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, was an opportunity to continue the discussion on the acceleration of the process of enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans through specific projects of regional cooperation and integration, as well as on the contribution of the countries of the region to European strategic autonomy, especially in the areas of food security, supply chains and connectivity.
