prijava
BRUSSELS, July 20 (FENA) - After yesterday's meeting of the Council of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in Brussels, the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, commented on the decision of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Staša Košarac, who did not accept the adoption of any joint statement after the meeting.
"The statement was acceptable, I see no reason why we did not have the consent of one member of the Council of Ministers to agree on that statement. This is a statement that we agreed between us and the European Union. It does not depend only on our agreement, however, since there was no understanding from that side, we certainly cannot influence the statements and positions of the European Union related to the process of integration of BiH," she clarified.
She noted that they came to the meeting with an agreed position, which was also recognized by the European institutions.
"I'm sorry that we didn't manage to make the breakthrough of a joint statement, but these are the political views of individuals and I think that in the coming period, there is room to work and reach an agreement on such things. Perhaps the reason for this is the short time it takes to organize the meeting and determine the position. I believe that in the future when it comes to matters about which there are disputes, we will do everything to reach a common interest because none of us has any other way. The European path has no alternative," added Kristo.
Várhelyi: Candidate status comes with a high level of expectation
Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement of the European Union Olivér Várhelyi emphasized that the European Union cares about BiH and its people.
"The status of the candidate country of Bosnia and Herzegovina should carry a clear message that it is intended for the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The elections also showed the commitment of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in this direction, because they elected a political leadership that managed to form a new government at all levels, to adopt budgets at a speed that we had not seen before. We think that all the institutional prerequisites have been fulfilled so far in order for BiH to fulfill its promise to the EU. Now is the time to deliver those 14 priorities," he believes.
He added that after yesterday's talks, it became even clearer what needs to be done.
"The candidate status comes with a high level of expectations, both from the EU, but also from representatives of the public in BiH. That is why we now have to see that results are achieved, not only by the Council of Ministers but also by the Parliament, because very important decisions and proposals are at stake, whether it is the integrity of the judiciary, the law on conflict of interest, the fight against money laundering, etc. These are all issues that are now very well ripe for adoption," believes Várhelyi.
He reminded that in October, they are coming with an annual enlargement package.
"We can only include what has been achieved in the meantime, and that is why we are now at a critical moment, and I hope that after today's discussion, it will be even clearer what needs to be done and what the most important issues are. We need to speed up and strengthen efforts and focus on what will lead the country to achieve the next steps because the European plan is the only one that can bring real changes for the people, for the country and for companies. It is a plan that brings long-term prosperity, stability and security to the country and the entire region," he concluded.
(FENA) S. R.
