Today, the members of the BiH Presidency received the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Italy, Antonio Tajani, and the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Aleksander Schallenberg.
The members of the BiH Presidency expressed their satisfaction with the visit of the heads of diplomacy of two friendly countries, and their gratitude to Ministers Tajani and Shallenberg personally, as well as to the governments of the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Italy for their continued support for the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the European Union.
They especially thanked for the strong advocacy and mobilization of support from the member states of the European Union for the start of negotiations on the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union.
They informed the interlocutors about a series of activities that were carried out in order to fulfill the conditions for the next step on the European path. In this context, they emphasized the importance of a positive decision by the Council of the European Union, which would give an additional incentive to the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also important support for the country’s European future, for which there is an absolute consensus.
Ministers Tajani and Shallenberg said that today’s visit aims to provide political and any other kind of support to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They welcomed the progress in meeting the conditions and reiterated their strong encouragement and support for the European path, which is in the mutual interest of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union. They emphasized their complete commitment to preserving the stability and security of BiH through participation in the Althea Mission, providing technical assistance and advocating integration into the European Union.
The interlocutors also expressed their satisfaction with bilateral relations, and assessed that the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Italy represent one of the largest trade and investment partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They expressed the expectation that this cooperation will intensify in the future, as Bosnia and Herzegovina progresses on its way to membership in the European Union, announced the BiH Presidency.
