CHAIRPERSON OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS BIH KRIŠTO WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF EU MEMBER STATES IN COUNCIL FOR GENERAL AFFAIRS

SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 4 (ONASA) – The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, met today in Sarajevo with the high representatives of the EU member states in the General Affairs Council (the so-called Salzburg format), whom she introduced to the reform processes and Bosnia’s European path. and Herzegovina, it was announced from the VMBiH.
Chairperson Krišto emphasized the importance of opening the negotiation process of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union as soon as possible, and by the end of 2023 at the latest.
She said that everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina is aware that achieving the goal of membership depends on their own pace, on consistency in the implementation of reforms and the strengthening of democratic institutions, and that it is necessary for the European Union to decide more clearly and decisively on the process of enlargement and the membership of countries this region in the European Union.
“Also, we must be aware that the expansion of the European Union to the countries of the region is key to maintaining long-term peace, stability and prosperity both in the region and in the entire European Union, which is a prerequisite for economic growth and regional integration,” said chairwoman Krišto .
She pointed out that the most important prerequisite for further democratization and progress in BiH is to complete the electoral reform. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country where compromise and broad consensus are key to progress.
Progress depends on the strengthening and improvement of mutual trust, internal dialogue and consensus of the primarily legitimate political representatives of the constituent nations, especially on the most important internal political goals in connection with the implementation of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, which require limited changes to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and electoral legislation.
The chairwoman expressed her belief that, in the light of further progress and continued trust building in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with mutual respect for the constitutional principle of equality, the necessary limited constitutional reform as well as the overall reform of the electoral legislation will be implemented very quickly.
The chairwoman said that the BiH Council of Ministers, at its 25th session held yesterday, October 4, passed the Decision on displaying the European Union flag in ministries, administrative organizations and other bodies of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in this way, Bosnia and Herzegovina symbolically wishes to express their undoubted belonging to the European circle of civilization. She also reminded that in July, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission held the 5th meeting of the Stabilization and Association Council with the European Union.
The delegation from the European Union consisted of high representatives from Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania.