Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina have strong relations, which we also owe to the Bosnian diaspora in Sweden. Many Swedish companies are investing in BiH, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, Tobias Billstrom.
Billstrom is on an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and today he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković.
“Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina have strong relations, which we also owe to the Bosnian diaspora in Sweden. Many Swedish companies invest in BiH. We reiterate Sweden’s commitment to continue our excellent relations and cooperation,” said Billstrom at a press conference.
He added that during the meeting with BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković discussed the situation in Europe, the Western Balkans and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“On January 1, Sweden took over the presidency of the European Council in a historic moment that presents numerous challenges to the EU due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Now it is even more necessary for countries that are directed towards the same goal and that respect the rules-based world order to cooperate even more closely,” said Billstrom and added:
“The countries of the Western Balkans are an essential partner and only together can we develop a stable Europe based on common values. Due to the newly emerging security situation in Europe, the importance of the countries of the Western Balkans has only increased. Only together can we build a better Europe for everyone.”
He pointed out that due to the security situation, Sweden certainly welcomes the European Council’s decision to grant BiH candidate status.
“This is a great opportunity for your country and we hope that you will make the most of it. Candidate status also comes with increased expectations regarding reforms and alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, which includes restrictions towards Russia,” Billstrom added.
“Unfortunately, despite the positive signals at the state level, this is contradicted by the signals from Republika Srpska. The EU is deeply concerned about the recent steps taken to criminalize defamation within the law on non-governmental organizations. If these laws are adopted, it will represent a step backwards in the European the path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Repeated threats of secession are also unfounded and only contribute to mistrust and tensions, at a time of crisis in Europe when stability and cooperation are needed.”
In the end, he clearly said that Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the European Union.
“There is no alternative to that. However, in order for it to become a reality, you must make progress on fourteen key priorities, and Sweden and the EU will continue to stand by you and provide you with support,” said the head of Swedish diplomacy at the end.
The reception of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the delegation of the Kingdom of Sweden was held in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after which a tete-a-tete meeting of the ministers of BiH and Sweden and a working meeting of the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden were held.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden, improvement of cooperation, the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reform processes and BiH’s European path, given that Sweden currently chairs the Council of the European Union.
It is very important for us to send a message of support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina from this place, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković after a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden Tobias Billstrom, who is on an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The reception of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the delegation of the Kingdom of Sweden was held in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after which a tete-a-tete meeting of the ministers of BiH and Sweden and a working meeting of the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden were held.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden, improvement of cooperation, the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reform processes and BiH’s European path, given that Sweden currently chairs the Council of the European Union.
Konaković said that he is meeting his Swedish colleague for the third time in a very short period of time.
He thanked Sweden, which currently presides over the Council of the European Union, for the strong support they provide to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path.
“Of course, we thank you for the support we received from Sweden for the candidate status, which is important for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our two countries do not have difficult and open questions. We talked about our chances and opportunities. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden have significantly increased the scope of the last year trade exchanges. Exports grew by around 23 percent, imports by around 29 percent, compared to 2021, these are serious and significant numbers,” Konaković pointed out.
Nevertheless, BH. the minister believes that there is still a lot of room for improvement.
“They proposed and I think we will go towards an agreement on a memorandum of cooperation in the field of tourism. I remind you that a large number of Bosnians and Herzegovinians, our diaspora, live in Sweden. These are people who often come back to their homes, friends, and relatives. We know that Bosnia and Herzegovina as an attractive tourist destination is certainly interesting to other citizens of Sweden,” explained Konaković.
They also discussed current issues concerning the countries of the Western Balkans, the stability of the region.
“It is very important for us to send a message of support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina from this place, so there is no room for any other politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina at this moment. I use the opportunity to once again call on all my colleagues to focus to what our obligations are, to return our attention to the 14 priorities that are a condition for our membership in the EU. On our side, there are obligations that must be fulfilled and tasks that we must complete so that our European partners take us even more seriously.” said Konakovic.
As he said, they presented the successful period of work of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which in a very short period adopted the largest budget ever in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a number of documents that are important for the European path, Federalna writes.
