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SARAJEVO, January 22 (FENA) - Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivan Sabolić today at the Delegation of the European Union to BiH in Sarajevo announced that during the six-month presidency of Croatia over the Council of the European Union, it will push for the continuation of a consistent, effective and credible enlargement policy based on a confirmed European perspective of candidates and potential candidates.
In addition to advocating for opening negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, Croatia sees BiH’s progress towards a candidate status as something highly important.
“Croatia is ready to assist BiH along the way with its fresh experience in the negotiation process, but also with its position as an EU member. We believe that BiH will invest efforts into reform processes that will be recognized and positively valued in the interest of all citizens and constituent peoples of BiH,” said Sabolić.
Bringing back attention to the countries of Southeast Europe and making progress in their relations with the European Union is the main reason why Croatia chose to host a summit in early May in Zagreb between EU leaders and Southeast European countries.
“We want the summit to concretize the European perspective and strengthen the further dynamic of the European path for our neighboring countries,” added Sabolić.
Other priorities to be addressed by Croatia during the EU presidency are the multiannual financial framework, a conference on the future of Europe and a new relationship with the United Kingdom. It will also focus on protecting internal security, external borders, ensure full interoperability of information systems and increase resistance to cyber threats.
Sabolić is confident that Croatia will hand over the presidency to its German counterparts in six months satisfied with what it has achieved during its first presidency of the Council of the EU.
Director of the Directorate for European Integration of BiH, Edin Dilberović wished good luck to Croatia and success in this process, saying that this period would be difficult because it opens a part of the institutional story in the EU, such as Brexit and the future of the EU.
“On the other hand, Croatia's support for enlargement is important for BiH, and BiH is aware that the dynamic of this process depends to a great extent on the opinions of EU member states, but also on ourselves to the extent we are able to deliver something of good quality before the EU summit in Zagreb and the new enlargement process,” said Dilberović.
He concluded that Europe that is influential is the one important priority for BiH as one of the four that Croatia has prepared in its presidency program under the motto “A Strong Europe in a World of Challenges”.
Croatia will strive for stability, security and further economic development and cohesion of the European continent, as well as the achievement of the goals of the United Nations Program for Sustainable Development 2030 and the strengthening of multilateralism.
"Developing Europe", "Connecting Europe" and "Europe that protects" are the remaining three priorities within which Croatia has identified the activities it will implement during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
On this occasion, the European Union (EU) Special Representative to BiH Johann Sattler expressed hope that in the coming period there would be an even stronger European Union focus on the region.
“We see that at the top of the priorities is the entire area of the Western Balkans. That in itself is very good news. A culmination of this presidency will be the summit planned for May 2020 in Zagreb with a focus on the countries of the Western Balkans,” concluded Sattler.
(FENA) S. R.
