SARAJEVO, FEBRUARY 29 (ONASA) – The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, participated today in Tirana at the Regional Summit on the Growth and Alignment Plan, which was hosted by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, and the Commissioner of the European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi. On that occasion, the chairwoman addressed those present at the leadership panel “Phase entry into the single market”.
Chairperson Kristo said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is waiting for the opening of the negotiation process with the EU in March. She emphasized the commitment of the BiH Council of Ministers to the European path, which is working diligently to achieve the appropriate level of compliance with the criteria for membership in the European Union.
The chairperson emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized the importance of green lanes at border crossings, which facilitate trade and traffic connections in our region, contribute to environmental protection by reducing fuel consumption and emissions, and that it actively participates in their implementation at all important border crossings and invests additional efforts in expanding this initiative to as many crossings as possible. She said that harmonization of the working hours of customs agencies is still an actual problem for economic entities, which requires additional harmonization of regulations and bilateral agreements. She emphasized the importance of investing in border infrastructure, in order to establish integrated control and modern traffic lane management systems at border crossings, which would enable a faster flow of goods and people across borders.
She also emphasized the importance of trade with the EU for the countries of the region and the removal of obstacles faced by businessmen in cross-border payment transactions, for which the harmonization of payment systems with European standards is very important. She added that, in this regard, the BiH Council of Ministers is working on harmonizing the legal and regulatory framework with the acquis in order to enable the connection and integration of our payment systems, the establishment of more profitable payments in the economies of the Western Balkans and the establishment of a regional framework for limiting payment costs within CEFTA. e. Emphasizing the importance of medical cooperation in the region after the pandemic, Chairperson Krišto said that BiH is actively participating in the establishment of regional mechanisms for the rapid exchange of medical supplies and ensuring stability in the supply of medical materials, and that it is carrying out a series of activities to improve its preparedness and response to emergency medical situations.
She added that Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the importance of regional instruments needed for the process of phased entry into the EU Single Market. In this regard, she emphasized the importance of establishing common rules of origin and mutual recognition with the EU, which would enable our producers to access the European market before full accession to the EU. She emphasized that BiH institutions are actively working on the harmonization of legislation in order to ensure the fulfillment of requirements and joining the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) in the near future.
“Overall, we face challenges, but also great opportunities for the improvement of our economies and further economic progress. It is extremely important that we continue to develop and implement appropriate regional instruments together that will help us more easily harmonize our legislation and practices with EU standards, which will further support the integration of the countries of the Western Balkans into European structures,” said Chairperson Kristo.
At the end of the address, the chairwoman said that these initiatives and instruments are the foundation for strengthening the Western Balkan region, improving the competitiveness of economies and ensuring the stability and further prosperity of our countries.