Brussels, 15/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 14 January, the Dutch minister for foreign affairs Bert Koenders stated that the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina had told him that they would “shortly” submit a formal request to join the European Union.
When presenting the priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU to the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Koenders said that he was aware that some media were reporting that Bosnia-Herzegovina could submit its request for membership in January. This timeframe would correspond moreover to the calendar set by Denis Zvizdic, the president of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Council of Ministers. Zvizdic had indeed said on 11 December that his country intended to submit this request “in a month or two” (see EUROPE 11451).
Koenders gave assurances that this possible request would be handled in line with the Treaties - in other words, it would be sent to the Council of the EU. He also stated that his country and Bosnia-Herzegovina had very close relations, but that it was nevertheless important that Sarajevo's progress be duly documented so as to be able to check the credibility. He added that in this context the state institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina remained fragile.
Koenders also said he hoped that under the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, Serbia would be able to open negotiation chapters 23 and 24, and that the association agreement and stabilisation with Kosovo would be concluded in the spring. The European Parliament is due to speak about this agreement at its plenary session on Wednesday 20 January.
As regards the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Koenders spoke of his concern about a political situation that he described as “fragile” and he said that this affected “the reform process”. “It's crucial to restore public confidence in the political system”, he said. Parliamentary elections are due in FYROM in April 2016.
In similar fashion, Koenders called on the political parties in Montenegro to re-engage in the dialogue between them. The opposition has been boycotting the parliament in Montenegro since September 2015 and parliamentary elections are planned to take place in 2016.
Koenders also returned to the situation in Turkey. He supported the decision to open negotiation chapters 23 and 24. This will be “the best means of stimulating reforms”, he said. He also called for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations with the Kurds. In his view, the situation on the ground is only becoming worse. While it is certainly necessary to act against the threat of terrorism, any response must remain proportionate, he said.
He also spoke of his optimism regarding settlement of the Cypriot crisis. “There is good momentum and I hope the issue can be settled during our Presidency”, he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)