Members of the Joint Committee for European Integration of the PA BiH held a meeting with the Minister for European Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark

Chairman of the Joint Committee for European Integration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) Zdenko Ćosić, Deputy Chairman of the Joint Committee Dženan Đonlagić and members of the Joint Committee Predrag Kojović and Ilija Cvitanović held a meeting today with the Minister for European Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark Marie Bjerre, ahead of Denmark taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) on July 1, 2025.

At the meeting, the status of the European integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina was discussed, with special emphasis on Denmark's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU and on the priorities that Denmark will have during its six-month mandate.

Presenting the priorities of the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU, Minister Bjerre emphasized that the focus will be on defence and security, but also on the enlargement process, which, in the new geopolitical circumstances caused by the war in Ukraine, represents an important defence and security issue for the EU. In this regard, the Danish Minister for European Affairs expressed the hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will take advantage of the new momentum related to the enlargement process, and fulfil the remaining criteria and standards for opening accession negotiations for EU membership, which, as she said, will not change and will be the same for all candidate countries for EU membership.

Minister Bjerre confirmed her country's strong support for the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of the Western Balkans. She emphasized Denmark's readiness to provide technical assistance and expertise to Bosnia and Herzegovina in areas of key importance for the integration process and called on our country to appoint a chief negotiator as soon as possible and adopt the remaining reform laws in the field of justice.

Members of the Joint Commission emphasized the existence of a consensus of all leading political parties regarding BiH's European path and emphasized the importance of the priorities of the Danish presidency and Denmark's support for the enlargement process. They expressed the hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will manage to overcome the current political crisis that has slowed down its European path and that it will soon be able to meet the conditions for holding the first intergovernmental conference and the formal opening of negotiations on full membership in the EU.

Both sides expressed their belief that Denmark's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU will be an opportunity to further speed up Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path and agreed on the need to continue intensive communication and cooperation, especially through the participation of members of the Joint Commission at the meetings of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees on EU Affairs (COSAC). (end)