Members of the Collegium of both Houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

 The Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović and Ognjen Tadić, met today in Sarajevo with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, to discuss the improvement of bilateral relations and the further course of the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pointing out that there is a long-standing friendship and the history of good political and economic relations between Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Minister Mitov expressed the confidence that the European Union (EU) cannot be complete without all the Western Balkans countries. In this regard, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria emphasized that his country strongly supports the European and Euro-Atlantic path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the application for membership in the EU, which BiH has submitted in mid-February 2016.

Concluding that much work still awaits our country with the implementation of painful and sometimes controversial reforms on the road towards the EU, Minister Mitov offered all help that Bulgaria can provide as a country that is still going through reforms, particularly in the area of justice and the fight against corruption, even though it is an EU Member State.

Thanking him for sincere support, the Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović and Ognjen Tadić pointed out that the experience and the help offered by Bulgaria to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path towards the European integration are valuable for our country.

Members of the Collegium of both Houses of the BiH PA have expressed their commitment to continue with the implementation of the adopted Reform Agenda and the fulfilment of all other conditions for membership of BiH in the EU, adding that BiH has not yet seized the advantages offered to our country by the British - German, i.e. the new EU initiative.

Džaferović and Tadić advocated for the improvement of economic relations also between the two countries, by emphasizing that both countries should make additional efforts in order to take advantage of all possibilities to boost the economic relations and foreign trade exchange between BiH and Bulgaria. In this regard, Džaferović and Tadić pointed out we should use regional initiatives for the improvement of economic relations between all countries in the region, which promote discussions on big construction projects of transport and infrastructure network in the Western Balkans countries.

Chairman of the Joint Commission for Defence and Security of BiH, Sifet Podžić, former Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Bulgaria, was also present at the meeting between the Members of Collegium of both Houses of BiH PA. (End)