The Hungarian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Krisztián Pósa, stated that the integration of the Western Balkans has a clear stabilizing effect and strengthens Europe in defending against attempts at external influence and protecting its common values.
Pósa said this today during a reception on the occasion of the end of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which was organized by the Embassy of Hungary in BiH at Europe House Sarajevo.
The Ambassador stated that among the goals of the Hungarian presidency, the acceleration of the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union and the establishment of a realistic balance in the EU enlargement policy with a focus on the Western Balkans were highlighted. During the presidency, Hungary has consistently advocated the position that without the countries of the region joining the European Union as soon as possible, we cannot talk about the complete unification and unity of Europe.
“We will not change this conviction in the future either! The integration of the Western Balkans has a clear stabilizing effect and strengthens Europe in its defense against attempts from external influence and in the protection of its common values. We also believe that the integration of the region is not only a geopolitical necessity for Europe, but also an economic potential, which represents a key resource in terms of the EU’s long-term global competitiveness,” Ambassador said.
He emphasized that the Hungarian Presidency has attached particular importance to the issue of increasing the competitiveness of the Union; an outstanding result of our Presidency is the Budapest Declaration adopted at the informal meeting of the European Council on 8 November 2024, which sets out concrete proposals and tasks for achieving this goal.
“Let us not forget, a competitive Europe can also provide the countries of the Western Balkans with better opportunities for cooperation, and at the same time can make integration into the European Union more attractive. In addition to the above, I would like to highlight the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone as another result of our presidency, which is also an important moment from the perspective of this region,” he said.
He stressed that the Hungarian Presidency attached particular importance to the issue of increasing the competitiveness of the Union and that the result of their presidency was the Budapest Declaration adopted at the informal meeting of the European Council on 8 November 2024, which outlined concrete proposals and tasks for achieving this goal.
“A competitive Europe can also provide the countries of the Western Balkans with better opportunities for cooperation, and at the same time can make EU integration more attractive,” said Pósa.
He also stated that during their presidency they had made significant efforts to promote the integration progress of the Western Balkans and that they had achieved visible results.
“During our Presidency, we made every effort to involve the representatives of the Western Balkan countries as much as possible in the EU’s life cycle. As part of this, they were invited to a wide range of political and professional Presidency events.
“The Hungarian Presidency has always firmly advocated for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress in EU integration. In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the complexity and unique political system of the country must be taken into account – which we do not consider a drawback, causing the country to progress at its own pace on the path of European integration. Within the framework of our Presidency, several high-level bilateral political meetings and local professional consultations took place, both at the state and entity levels. During these meetings, we have always called for a constructive dialogue, emphasizing the importance of striving to implement EU reforms. Experience shows that the implementation of integration progress challenges is a priority on the agenda of BiH political leaders, regardless of their nationality or party affiliation. We trust that the planned results will be achieved as soon as possible in fulfilling the conditions necessary for the country’s integration progress, and that the first Intergovernmental Conference may also be held in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the next few months,” said Pósa.
Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Luigi Soreca confirmed the importance of the Hungarian EU presidency in the last six months.
“The Hungarian Presidency of the EU has highlighted that the European Union, the European Commission and Hungary share a common priority regarding EU enlargement. This is a great opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to build on Hungary’s strong commitment and ensure that the momentum is not lost,” said Soreca.
He expressed his satisfaction with the start of the Polish Presidency of the Council and told Bosnia and Herzegovina that this is a crucial moment for the future of this country.
“BiH is at a crossroads, and you cannot have a more engaged European Union than it is now,” concluded Soreca.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Josip Brkić said that during its EU Presidency, Hungary has truly held the EU process in high regard, not only in words, but also in deeds. He added that Hungary’s support for Operation Althea in BiH is also very strong, which he considers a reflection of everything Hungary says and advocates.
Photo: Fena news agency
