The EU sees commitment and positive developments when it comes to the necessary and long-awaited reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Oliver Varhelyi.
He wrote on the “X” platform that he was pleased to welcome the participants of the second high-level political forum on the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“A lot has happened since our previous meeting in Sarajevo. We see commitment. We see positive developments regarding the much-needed and long-awaited reforms,” said Varhelyi.
A high-level meeting between BiH and the EU began in Brussels. Apart from Varhelyi, the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, is attending the meeting.
The Belgian capital is hosting the second high-level political forum on the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where, among other things, progress will be made in fulfilling the 14 key priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission.
Representatives of all levels of government in BiH participate in the political forum.
Members of the Joint Collegium of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, presidents of clubs of representatives and delegates, deputy chairpersons of the Council of Ministers, director of the Directorate for European Integration, presidents of the governments of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the prime ministers of ten cantons and the mayor of Brčko District were invited to Brussels.
The spokesperson of the EU Delegation to BiH, Ferdinand Koenig, told Srna that the participants are expected to discuss progress in fulfilling 14 key priorities from the European Commission’s Opinion, reform steps announced when BiH received candidate status, and reforms related to the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. .
The first high-level political forum was held on May 17, when political and institutional leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina pledged to implement key activities necessary for progress on the path of European integration.
The focus of the talks then was on meeting the conditions for opening accession negotiations as soon as possible, and the participants agreed to meet in six months.
On November 8, the Head of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Johan Sattler, handed the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo, the report of the European Commission on Bosnia and Herzegovina for this year, which conditionally recommends the start of negotiations for membership.
In October, the European Commission proposed that BiH be granted candidate status for admission to the EU.
