The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called, on Friday 28 October, on the politicians elected in the general elections at the beginning of October (see EUROPE 13036/27) to unite and work to move Bosnia and Herzegovina forward on its European path.
The European Commission had recommended, on 12 October, that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted candidate status for EU membership (see EUROPE 13041/13).
“Thanks to your political work, the country has the opportunity once in a generation to move forward. This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s moment and I would like to encourage each and every one of you to seize this moment”, the President of the Commission stressed in a speech in Sarajevo, saying that the leaders had a “historic responsibility”. She recalled that more than three quarters of Bosnians were in favour of EU membership.
Highlighting the country’s progress in recent years, Mrs von der Leyen said: “If there is a will, there is always a way”. “Now is the time for the country to come together once again, and advance on the path towards our Union”, she warned, while the European Commission has set eight conditions for granting candidate status. “Adopting these reforms will not be easy”, she acknowledged, but added that the long-term goal must be considered.
As in the other Western Balkan countries (see EUROPE 13052/4), Mrs von der Leyen announced EU support for Bosnia and Herzegovina to tackle the energy crisis. The country will thus receive €71 million.
Adding that the Russian war in Ukraine was having an economic impact on the country, Mrs von der Leyen said the best way to deal with the problem was “ closer cooperation with the EU”. “We are ready to push the integration of our economies even further, with no further delay”, she insisted. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)