On Thursday 26 April, European Council President Donald Tusk announced that the EU was ready to help Bosnia-Herzegovina in its electoral reform.
"As friends we are (...) obliged to tell you what concerns us. One such issue is definitely the stalled electoral reform. The EU is ready to contribute to the successful resolution of the current impasse, which ultimately would be in the best interest of your country", he said at a press conference with Mladen Ivanić and Dragan Čović, members of the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to Tusk, the political partnership between the EU and Bosnia-Herzegovina and their common values of democracy, fundamental freedoms and rule of law are more important than their trade relations. Over 70% of Bosnian exports are to the EU.
Tusk also underlined reconciliation. "European history teaches us that inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions bring only pain and tragedy. But European history and the history of the European Union also teach us that reconciliation is indeed possible, even between sworn enemies during centuries", he said, before adding that different identities "must live side by side, complement and reinforce each other".
On the sidelines of the meeting, the European Investment Bank signed a €150 million loan for the construction of two sections of the Corridor 5C pan-European motorway linking Zenica to Mostar. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)