The President of the National Council of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka, who is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a decisive moment, that it is necessary to support the entire Western Balkans on the way to the European Union, and not to allow the strengthening of other influences in that area.
A meeting of Sobotka with members of the Joint Collegium of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Sarajevo. The meeting was held before the beginning of the emergency session of this House, where the Report of the Collegium Commission on efforts to reach an agreement on the Request of the Council of Ministers of BiH for consideration of the Bill on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist Activities should be considered.
Chairman of the House of Peoples PSBiH Kemal Ademović said at the press conference after the meeting that the talks were friendly and warm, and that the relations between the two countries are at a high level.
“Austria, in addition to helping Bosnia and Herzegovina obtain candidate status in December 2022, is now strongly advocating that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted the opening of accession negotiations with the EU in March,” said Ademović.
He said that during the meeting they expressed their gratitude to Austria in the context of the fact that it is the country that is the largest individual investor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Goods and trade exchange between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Austria is at a very enviable level, Bosnia and Herzegovina even has a surplus in these relations, Ademović emphasized.
He also reminded that Sobotka is already going to the Munich Security Conference today.
“We received certain assurances that he will continue to advocate for Bosnia and Herzegovina to win accession negotiations, of course, on the condition that we adopt the remaining three laws that the European Commission gave us as a condition that we need to fulfill in the next few days,” concluded Ademović.
Sobotka also confirmed the very good and friendly relations between BiH and Austria, stressing that he will do everything to make them even better in the future, in various fields.
“The geopolitical situation certainly plays a very important role, and in this respect it is not necessary to allow other influences to emerge and strengthen. In this sense, it is absolutely necessary to support the entire region of the Western Balkans on its way to the European Union,” underlined Sobotka.
He added that some countries in the region are already in an advanced stage of their process and approach to the European Union, and said: “We are working on the future of the entire region, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Bosnia and Herzegovina is now at a decisive moment, and in the days ahead, the expected breakthrough should be achieved, so that the expected progress can also take place.”
Sobotka added that he wanted to encourage the delegates in the House of Peoples before today’s session, AA writes.
Photo: AA
