I would like to thank the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their kind welcome in Sarajevo.
The European Union remains committed to the European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And this year, on the 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide and the Dayton/Paris agreement, I believe that it is an important message to remember.
I came to Sarajevo to bring this message of continued engagement but also of concern with the recent developments in República Srpska.
Secessionist rhetoric and actions against the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order run counter to the European Union path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What is important now is to ease the tensions and for political leaders to work together to maintain stability and security for everyone here.
As I made clear to the three Presidents, they have a crucial role to play in maintaining stability and security for the benefit of the population, and a crucial responsibility as well.
We need the approval of two judiciary laws, the appointment of a chief negotiator, and the adoption of the reform agenda to move towards on the Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European path. There is a great cost for your country, for the citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina, if the opportunities offered by the European Union are not seized. First, opportunities to make progress in your European Union accession benefiting from the new momentum in the enlargement process. And second, opportunities to benefit from the Growth Plan, just like all the other Western Balkan partners. The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the only ones in the region who do not benefit from the Growth Plan yet.
I would like to see Bosnia and Herzegovina joining the other Western Balkans partners in profiting from all that the European Union has to offer.
And one last point: today, I started my visit by meeting the troops of EUFOR Althea. Operation EUFOR Althea shows concretely the European Union’s readiness to help ensure peace and stability in the region. They continue to play a key role in supporting the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all citizens.
And allow me to stress that I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to move forward in the Bosnia-Herzegovina-European Union accession process. Thank you very much for your welcome. And we will continue working together.