Steven Vanackere on the European future of Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Affairs Minister, Sven Alkalaj, was received today by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Steven Vanackere at a working lunch to coincide with the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Bosnia-Herzegovina’s European commitment was the key subject of debate.
The two Ministers covered a wide range of issues: the future of the international presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the need for a greater European presence, the necessity for constitutional reform complying with the European Convention on Human Rights and the forthcoming elections. The question of Euro-Atlantic integration was also tackled and the Ministers discussed the prospects for Bosnia-Herzegovina with a view to rapid compliance with the conditions for full adherence to the NATO “Membership Action Plan”.
Steven Vanackere again confirmed the prospect of the future accession of all the Western Balkans countries to the European Union, a European commitment which therefore also applies to Bosnia-Herzegovina, as was recently confirmed at the High Level Meeting in Sarajevo. Sven Alkalaj explained the progress achieved in implementing the road map, which should make it possible, in due time, for his compatriots to travel within the European Union without a visa. Minister Vanackere encouraged Bosnia-Herzegovina to pursue its efforts, also with a view to the experts’ report on which the EU will base its future decisions on the question of visas.
