European Parliament members from the Greens / EFA Tineke Strik and Viola von Cramon and member of the German Bundestag Boris Mijatovic emphasized in Sarajevo today the importance of fulfilling the conditions for acquiring the candidate status of Bosnia and Herzegovina for EU membership.
Strick said that they were satisfied that the preparations for the elections in October were underway and that it was up to the citizens to decide which option would bring them closer to the EU.
She underlined that in the coming days, the EU Council will discuss the candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova, and that it is very important that people in the Western Balkans are not forgotten.
Von Cramon said it was now important to show solidarity with Ukraine and align with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
“Our main message is that we are ready to give Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status, but under specific conditions that must be met,” von Cramon stressed.
Mijatovic pointed out that Europe is united due to the threat posed by unpredictable Russian aggression, which we must fight together, and reminded of the need to change the BiH Constitution.
As a German, he underlined the importance of dealing with the past and marking the sites of suffering from the past war, regardless of the ethnicity of the victims.
“I would like Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a candidate for EU membership, but an effort must be made on the BiH side as well,” Mijatovic said.
The parliamentarians held a conference after meeting with representatives of BiH institutions, parties and civil society during a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During the day, the delegation of the Club of Greens / European Free Alliance in the European Parliament met with the President and members of the Central Election Commission of BiH, and the topic of discussion was the organization and implementation of the General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina scheduled for October 2, 2022.
Emphasis was placed on the challenges facing the Central Election Commission of BiH, it was announced after the meeting from the Information Office of the CEC of BiH.
Two days ago, the delegation met with the opposition parties from the Republika Srpska entity, and Strik briefly told the “Avaz” portal that they emphasized, among other things, the importance of the fight against corruption.
“We have just met with the three largest opposition parties in the NARS: SDS, PDP and DNS, as well as the Committee for European Integration of the NARS. We talked with them about the upcoming elections in October and the importance of holding them in a free and fair manner. Furthermore, we expressed the importance of the fight against corruption and historical reconciliation, which are both key issues for the democratization of BiH and progress on the path to the EU,” Strick told the “Avaz” portal after the first series of meetings.
