Members of the Joint Committee for European Integration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in Madrid at the 70th plenary session of COSAC

The Chair of the Joint Committee for European Integration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH), Zdenko Ćosić, and members of the Joint Committee, Mia Karamehić-Abazović and Radovan Kovačević, participated in the 70th plenary session of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) in Madrid, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The plenary session was opened by the Chair of the Senate of the Kingdom of Spain, Pedro Rollan Ojeda, and the President of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Spain, Francina Armengol Socias.

During the discussion on the results of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, addressed the participants.

A member of the Joint Committee for European Integration of PABiH, Mia Karamehić-Abazović, participated also in the discussion where a considerable number of participants supported the EU enlargement process, especially for Western Balkan countries. Emphasizing the importance of the enlargement process, especially the swift opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Karamehić-Abazović stated that all political parties and peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina share the same goal - full EU membership, which, she said, is crucial not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina but also for the region and the EU. Noting Bosnia and Herzegovina's support for all countries in the region on the common path towards EU membership, Karamehić-Abazović expressed firm belief that Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region belong to the EU family and that the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans will ensure geographical, security, economic, and geopolitical benefits of the utmost importance for the future of the EU.

In the concluding remarks on the Spanish Presidency at the end of the session, the Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Pascual Navarro, emphasized his agreement with the EU enlargement process and added that he understands the difficulties faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina, assuring that Bosnia and Herzegovina can count on Spain's support on its European path.

The final day of the 70th plenary session of COSAC was marked by a discussion on the situation in Ukraine and relations with the EU. During this session, Zdenko Ćosić, the Chair of the Joint Committee for European Integration of PABiH, addressed the participants. Ćosić welcomed the achievements that Ukraine is making on its path to full EU membership despite all the challenging circumstances. At the same time, he expressed special thanks to all those who emphasize the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration, as well as that of the Western Balkan countries. He assessed that the potentials of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all countries in the region can fully come to fruition only within the EU, which, as Ćosić stated, is also a security framework for the Western Balkan countries. Warning that any delay opens the doors to dangers faced in the latest global geopolitical upheavals, as well as the rise of Euroscepticism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ćosić expressed the belief that determining the date for opening negotiations would be an act of wisdom and vision of great significance for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for the EU as a whole.

Participants in the 70th plenary session of COSAC welcomed the Enlargement Package for 2023, as well as the recommendations of the European Commission for Bosnia and Herzegovina. They reiterated their support for the Western Balkans, as expressed in the Thessaloniki Agenda and the Western Balkans Growth Plan. They called on candidate countries to intensify their reform initiatives with the assistance of the EU, especially in the field of the rule of law. (End)