PRESIDENT KRIŠTO TALKS WITH GREEK PRIME MINISTER MITTSOTAKIS IN ATHENS

SARAJEVO, AUGUST 21 (ONASA) – The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH (VMBiH) Borjana Krišto spoke today in Athens with the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and the reforms of BiH in the process of joining the European Union (EU), the VMBiH announced.
The meeting was held on the eve of the informal meeting of the leaders of the region and the EU countries in Athens, which will be attended by the chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Chairperson Kristo thanked Prime Minister Mitsotakis for the strong support he provides to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path. She added that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece are friendly countries without open issues and called on Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis to further strengthen economic cooperation in mutual interest.
During the meeting, Chairperson Krišto emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina undoubtedly belongs to the European circle of civilizations and that in the coming period they will prove it. She added that the priorities and focus of the work of the new Council of Ministers of BiH, as well as of all institutions of BiH, in the period ahead of us are aimed at fulfilling the 8+1 conditions, that is, 14 key priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission.
Speaking about the work of the current convocation of the BiH Council of Ministers, which in the past eight months has launched a reform agenda, which should be intensified this month and next, Chairperson Kristo emphasized the importance of reforms not only for the perspective of our country within the European Union, but also for stability and security BiH and the entire region.
The importance of opening the negotiation process as quickly as possible, and by the end of 2023 at the latest, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union in favor of security, stability and strengthening of democracy and the rule of law was emphasized.
Krišto reiterated Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unquestionable compliance with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, especially since as a signatory to the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), it is obliged to harmonize its foreign policy with the EU. She emphasized that the entire region, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, is feeling the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine. She expressed concern due to the humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Ukraine and added that Bosnia and Herzegovina in this sense shares real security, political and economic concerns with the countries of the European Union, but also more widely, on a global level.