prijava
SARAJEVO, August 4 (FENA) - The new High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, said today that those who want to be part of the EU must respect European directives.
At his inaugural press conference in Sarajevo, Schmidt expressed his support for activities within the European integration process of BiH.
“What I and the international community want from Bosnia and Herzegovina is nothing special. We want to help BiH to be a normal country, a reliable partner in the community of states and to help BiH in European integration process,” said Schmidt.
He stated that sometimes he has the impression that too much time is spent on the past, on building narratives about the dramatic past. He stressed the need to understand how to prevent events from the past from happening again, noting that this should not be an obstacle to looking to the future.
Schmidt said that every war crime must be prosecuted and that one cannot speak of the collective responsibility of the people.
He stressed that a focus is needed on resolving urgent issues, and one of them is the exodus of young people. Schmidt said that he often hears that young people from BiH go abroad, adding that it is good in the sense that you have an exchange, but people also need to return. They will return, as Schmidt said, when they see a chance for life here.
New High Representative said that there are many things that need to be worked on, and that he will use his political experience and the instruments he has as High Representative for a better future of the country.
He also stressed the importance of regional cooperation and the economy. He added that US President Joe Biden was well acquainted with the situation in the Western Balkans and thanked him for bringing the US back to the Balkan political scene.
“My offer to everyone in BiH is, as long as there are requests, requests to talk, I will be ready. It is important to improve cooperation, strengthen community,” Schmidt pointed out.
He added that the Bonn powers are there and that he can use them.
“I think that it is always better for the responsible persons to decide on their own issues. There are certain limitations, that is the red line, especially when we talk about the territorial integrity of the state. That would be an item where the Bonn powers could be used, and we will see other things in the future,” said Schmidt.
(FENA) A. B.
