Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić received the Director for the Adriatic Region and the Balkans in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy Andrea Cascone and the Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to BiH Marco Di Ruzza.
At the meeting, they discussed the upcoming session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and the session of the European Council, which will discuss granting EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced the BiH Presidency.
Although granting EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina is a kind of geopolitical stance of the European Union towards the region of the Western Balkans, it was pointed out that it is also a message to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the European Union has not forgotten our country.
It was particularly pointed out that, after the elections held in our country, the new authorities are expected to continue and work more intensively on all reforms that concern the path of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of European integration, but that any reform change should go from the bottom up, that is, it should start from citizens.
It was said that as part of the reforms, the implementation of all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the adoption of laws and other acts from the Opinion of the European Commission, are especially expected.
Cooperation between the Republic of Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of culture was also discussed, and Ambassador Di Ruzza presented the idea of opening a suitable institute for culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Republic of Italy regularly finances and co-finances numerous projects in the field of culture, so the opening of the aforementioned institute would be additional support for this important social segment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The support of Bosnia and Herzegovina was requested for the candidacy of Italy and the City of Rome to host the World Exhibition EXPO 2030, where Bosnia and Herzegovina will also have the opportunity to participate in their projects.
