Members of the Friendship Group for Western Europe of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina visit SR Germany

Members of the Friendship Group of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) for Western Europe, who are in a three-day working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, at the invitation of the Chair of the German Bundestag Friendship Group,  Marielaise Beck, discussed today in Berlin with Bundestag Vice-President Johannes Singhammer the issue of  accelerating BiH's European integration processes, enhancing bilateral co-operation between state parliaments and the situation in Region of the Western Balkans.

Delegation of the PA BiH Friendship Group, consisting of the Chair of the Group Nermina Kapetanović, Deputy Chair of the Group Bariša Čolak and members of the Group Mirsad Đonlagić, Maja Gasal - Vražalica, Sead Kadić, Milica Marković and Hanka Vajzović met today with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany for Southeastern Europe, Turkey and the EFTA States, Christian Hellbach.

During these meetings, the officials of the Federal Republic of Germany strongly confirmed the European perspective of our country, pointing out that the German Bundestag and all other institutions of this friendly country will continue to provide support to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path toward the European Union (EU).

Representatives of the German Parliament and the Government have stressed that our country needs a new impetus in the process of European integration, with the aim of establishing political and economic stability and stopping the process when young people leave the country. In this regard, the need to continue the European agenda and economic reforms has been underlined, as well as the need to focus on the issues of judicial reform and the fight against crime and corruption. They have also indicated that there is a need to establish a more intensive inter-parliamentary cooperation, particularly in the area of a common regional and European strategy for combating terrorism and all forms of radicalism.

Members of the PA BiH delegation expressed their gratitude to the officials of the Federal Republic of Germany, in particular Chancellor Angela Merkel, for advocating for the European perspective of BiH and for the constant support that Germany provides in the BiH Euro-Atlantic integration process.

Pointing out the fact that a few years stagnation in the process of European integration of BiH has been unblocked by the British - German initiative, members of our delegation have emphasized in particular the value of this initiative focused on economic reform and economic growth of  BiH.

Members of the PA BiH Friendship Group for Western Europe agreed with the hosts that terrorism is a threat to the global peace, and, in this regard, noted that BiH is the first country in the Western Balkans region to adopt and implement legislation on the prosecution of foreign fighters.

During the visit, the members of the delegation will hold talks with representatives of the German Ministry of Justice and judicial institutions, and during the evening, their host will be the chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German Bundestag for Bosnia and Herzegovina Marieluise Beck. (End)