The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, met today in Hungary with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, and asked him to lobby the politicians in the Republika Srpska to return to the principles of stability.
Konaković said that this is the second meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary in five months and that there are not many countries with which meetings were held in both countries.
“I am using the opportunity to thank Hungary for supporting BiH’s European path, for lobbying to obtain candidate status, which is significant, and for advocating the enlargement policy that was revived in the EU, unfortunately due to the aggression against Ukraine, but it provided a new time in which we can get closer to the European Union to be closer than the current place,” Konaković said.
He said that in cooperation with the countries in the Western Balkans, a new narrative of more integration before membership was created, which gives the countries and the Western Balkans a chance to get closer to the European Union at a decent distance.
“This geographical space is part of Europe, and to understand that we are not a hinterland but the heart of Europe and that geographically it belongs to us to be a part of the EU, and for our part we need to deliver and fulfill our obligations,” said Konaković.
Konaković said that some colleagues from the EU told him in the talks that it would be difficult or almost impossible for their countries to fulfill the 14 conditions that were put before Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that understanding is needed here and that the time that was obtained should be used in the best possible way and use at least part of the priorities and to get closer to the common market, access funds and projects.
He added that he has nothing against the regional cooperation of any of the entities with any country as long as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina is respected, and that the Hungarian authorities do not call this into question. He also said that he got the idea for Hungary to be part of the fair in the city of Tešnj.
“We have many common concerns in the field of energy, and we must work together and cooperate on them. Warm homes are one of the basic priorities. In foreign policy, BiH and all citizens come first to me, we do everything to keep young people who go further than they would otherwise we wanted it,” Konaković said.
He said that they are working on getting the story of the Berlin process adopted as soon as possible and that they are close to adopting two agreements, as well as a third one, in order to create mobility of working people and raw materials for the benefit of all.
“The understanding of all politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina is very important, and I asked him to use the good connections with politicians in the RS (Szijjarto op.a), to explain what benefits the EU story brings, due to the crisis that is happening, to explain that he is lobbying to return to the settings which mean political stability, and from which we can create some new economic opportunities,” Konaković said.
He said that part of the obligations should be delivered and that a hand and a message from the EU should be received, which will enable faster access and rapprochement, but that this momentum will not last forever.
“Minister Szijjarto should talk to political leaders with whom he has good contacts and let’s use the moment for progress,” Konaković concluded, Klix.ba reports.