The European Council president said the EU is committed to the European future of Bosnia, as he visited Sarajevo on Tuesday to meet with members of the tripartite presidency as part of his tour of the Balkans.
ADVERTISEMENT
After his trip to Belgrade, European Council President António Costa visited Sarajevo on Tuesday as part of his Balkans tour. He was given a warm reception upon his arrival before meeting with Bosnia's presidency.
In a statement, the European Council chief announced that the EU “remains committed” to the country's European future. He also praised Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović, and Željko Komšić — members of the Western Balkan country's three-way presidency — for their role in maintaining stability and security in the country and the region.
Recently, tensions have been brewing domestically over the leader of the entity of the Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik's actions, which the state-level authorities denounced for undermining the country’s constitutional order.
Western powers and the EU have condemned Dodik for his provocations after he had suggested that the Dayton Agreement, the peace agreement that formally ended the Bosnian War in 1995, had outlived its purpose.
In his statement, Costa underlined the importance of the Dayton accords, set to mark its 30th anniversary this year.
“And this year, on the 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide and the Dayton (and) Paris Agreement, I believe that it is an important message to remember,” said Costa.
Costa also outlined that some reforms are needed to ensure Bosnia remains on the path to EU membership.
“We need the approval of two judiciary laws, the appointment of a chief negotiator, and the adoption of the reform agenda to move towards on the Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European path.”
Bosnia is the only country that does not benefit from the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Costa stressed that implementing these reforms is of paramount importance to ensure that Bosnia's citizens benefit from the EU plan.
“I would like to see Bosnia and Herzegovina joining the other Western Balkans partners in profiting from all that the European Union has to offer,” the Council president noted.
Costa will next travel to Montenegro and Albania on Wednesday, for meetings with President Jakub Milatović in Podgorica and President Bajram Begaj in Tirana. He’ll conclude his tour with a visit to Skopje in North Macedonia, where he will meet Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.