SARAJEVO, November 18 (FENA) – The 22nd Conference of Parliamentary Committees for European Integration of countries involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process (COSAP) opened today at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The event was organized by the Joint Committee for European Integration of the BiH Parliament, with support from the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Germany’s GIZ.
Chairman of the Joint Committee Zdenko Ćosić welcomed participants, including members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the European Parliament and EU Delegation in BiH, and parliamentarians from Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, and Turkiye.
German Ambassador to BiH Alfred Grannas emphasized Germany’s strong support for the EU integration of Western Balkan countries and the importance of regional dialogue, particularly through the Berlin Process. He highlighted the vital role of parliaments in building national consensus on EU accession.
Danish Ambassador Åge Sandal Møller, speaking on behalf of the EU Council Presidency, stressed the need for the EU to assert itself as a global power amid current geopolitical shifts. He reaffirmed Denmark’s support for enlargement, especially for BiH, noting the country’s submission of its Reform Agenda as a key milestone.
Deputy Secretary General of the RCC Umut Ergezer underscored the significance of COSAP and parliamentary diplomacy in advancing EU integration.
The first of three conference panels, focused on the geopolitical context and its impact on EU enlargement, was opened by Davor Ivo Stier, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. He noted that while EU integration is a peace project, it has always carried geopolitical weight, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which accelerated candidate status for Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
Stier also discussed the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, designed to counter external influences and reinforce the region’s EU path.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in BiH Adebajo Babajide supported COSAP’s role and acknowledged that geopolitical dynamics have accelerated EU enlargement. He praised progress made by Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova, while noting BiH’s delays due to political tensions.
He expressed hope that the European Commission will issue a positive opinion on BiH’s Reform Agenda, potentially paving the way for an intergovernmental conference and the opening of accession negotiations by year-end.
The panel also featured contributions from BiH parliamentarians Nenad Vuković, Ilija Cvitanović, and Šefik Džaferović, as well as colleagues from Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, and Turkiye.
Summarizing the discussion, Ćosić stated that the debate confirmed the urgency of accelerating EU integration for all regional countries and that no one should be left behind given the current geopolitical climate.
