Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Brkić participated on August 26, 2026, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Gordan Grlić Radman, at the Conference of Ambassadors, Consuls General, Consuls and Military Envoys of the Republic of Croatia, held in Zagreb.
Deputy Minister Brkić participated in the panel titled “Croatian Foreign Policy Priorities in Southeast Europe and within the framework of EU enlargement”. On that occasion, he pointed out that membership in the European Union is a strategic and foreign policy priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that the European Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina should be translated into concrete progress and the effective start of the negotiation process. He emphasized that for Bosnia and Herzegovina the accession negotiations are not only a technical process of harmonization with the acquis of the European Union, but a powerful mechanism for carrying out reforms, strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions. He also noted that, in the changed geopolitical context and growing security challenges, the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire southeastern part of Europe into the European Union represents a question of long-term security and stability of the continent. In this sense, the EU enlargement policy has a special strategic importance for the security and stability of Europe, while a stable and European-oriented neighborhood represents the common interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region and the European Union.
During his presentation, he referred to the upcoming general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressing the importance of their results for the creation of the political consensus necessary for the unblocking of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path. He added that the European Union must be ready to help Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to achieve progress on the European path.
Deputy Minister Brkić thanked the Republic of Croatia for its constant support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path, including advocating candidate status and continuous support for the integration of our country into the European Union. Deputy Minister Brki concluded that the membership of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union is not only a strategic goal of our country, but also a common European interest, and that it is of particular importance to preserve the momentum of the enlargement policy and ensure that the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains clear and credible.
