The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Gordan Grlić Radman, said today in Sarajevo that Croatia sincerely advocates that BiH achieves a European perspective and that the accession negotiations for Bosnia and Herzegovina be open as soon as possible.

Grlić Radman, after the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, said that Croatia, as it has been before, will be the most committed and persuasive advocate of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to the European Union.

Grlić Radman congratulated his interlocutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the significant reform results achieved in the area of European integration. He added that he arrived on a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina with a large delegation with the support of the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, in order to welcome the political effort and, above all, the patience that was needed in order to achieve something good and positive.

“We in Croatia, who have achieved all the foreign policy achievements, and what remains is the concern for Southeast Europe, for the stability and European perspective of the Western Balkans, and above all BiH, with which we share the longest border, believe that BiH, as Croatia has done, achieves its European perspective. I think that such a way, with our strong support, but also that of all the other EU member states to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which of course includes here above all an agreement, but also a necessary compromise, is the best guarantee of further progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Grlić Radman.

He added that the EU itself is facing a lot of challenges, big decisions, including decisions on opening accession negotiations with potential future members. Grlić Radman emphasized that Croatia firmly and sincerely advocates that Bosnia and Herzegovina be included in that process and that the accession negotiations be opened as soon as possible.

“I want to encourage the political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue working on reforms so that you have even stronger arguments in favor of opening accession negotiations, and when we talk about reforms, this also means changing the Election Law, which implies the stability of the state, the stability of the system, and which will remain as a pledge to future generations,” stated Grlić Radman.

In addition to the previous assistance provided by Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the area of knowledge transfer through development and regional cooperation and other projects, Grlić Radman said that today he proposed to his interlocutors to strengthen cooperation by starting the work of a joint commission or commission on European partnership, for which there is a legal framework. This, he added, would establish a long-term structure that will be useful even after the start of accession negotiations.

Grlić Radman said that Croatia is also ready to make available its expertise, experience, and knowledge through the center of excellence regarding the establishment of negotiation structures, understanding and planning processes, as well as communication with European institutions.

“Croatia, which has established its position on the international level as a member of NATO, the EU, the Eurozone and Schengen and is strengthening its economic power, wants to help the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its peoples and citizens. The policy of the Croatian government is a policy of cooperation, partnership and the desire to find solutions. Our support is sincere, good-neighborly, friendly and benevolent. We agreed on many issues at the recent joint session of the Government of Croatia and the Council of Ministers in Zagreb, and we also discussed today, of course, the continuation of work on solving open bilateral issues,” said Grlić Radman.