The foreign ministers of European Union (EU) member states at yesterday’s session adopted by consensus the initiative of a new approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European transition, proposed by the British and German foreign ministers, the Anadolu Agency reports.
The EU Council of Ministers discussed today the situations in Ukraine, the Middle East, Libya, and BiH, as well as the fight against Ebola.
After the conclusion of the meeting, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusic addressed reporters, stating that consensus on the new approach on BiH’s convergence with the EU is an important first step toward stabilization, but that continuing the process will depend on the newly elected governments in BiH.
“As far as we’re concerned, for several reasons some form of a turning point in the discussion on the new approach is important, given that this launched with our initiative last spring, when we advocated for a more efficient approach to BiH,” said Pusic.
Emphasizing that the initiative grew into a British-German effort, Minister Pusic said that from today, it is officially the EU’s initiative.
“The initiative doesn’t propose reducing the criteria, but rather a redistribution of steps, reforms, and obligations taken for reasons of efficiency in the process of BiH’s accession to the EU. The first step is a signed obligation of key politicians in BiH. The proposal is to make it into a form of program of the new government, and that was accepted,” stressed Pusic.
Pusic concluded that the new approach means proactive participation of member states, but that the very active engagement of the newly elected authorities in BiH is expected.
Participants in today’s session announced new sanctions against pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine, but not against Russia.
(Source: Oslobođenje)
