Rupel and Lajcak Discuss Bosnia's European Future

Ljubljana, 12 December

Following a meeting with the EU's Special Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Miroslav Lajcak in Ljubljana on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel welcomed the recent initialing of the Stabilisation an Association Agreement between Bosnia and the EU and reiterated Slovenia's wish for a European future of the Western Balkans.

Rupel expressed his conviction that Bosnia would also sign the agreement, because it is his wish that "Bosnia-Herzegovina like the remaining Western Balkans countries gets the chance of becoming a candidate for EU membership as soon as possible".
Rupel added that Bosnia was a country that is connected to Slovenia and that Ljubljana wished to cooperate closely with Lajcak and Sarajevo during its upcoming EU presidency. The minister said Slovenia would strive to strengthen the Thessaloniki agenda.
Lajcak, who began a two-day visit to Slovenia today, told the press after the meeting that the support for a European future of the Western Balkans expressed in Thessaloniki could only work if it is not abstract.
He expressed his expectation that Bosnia would sign the Stabilisation an Association Agreement during Slovenia's presidency, possibly in March, and said a positive, good atmosphere of compromise could presently be felt in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which could be used to bring the country closer to the EU.
According to Lajcak, it is also good that European topics are currently in the forefront in the country, as Sarajevo wants the initialing of the agreement to be quickly followed by its signing.
He stressed that "European integration and changes to the constitution" were issues of strategic importance for Bosnia, saying that talks on constitutional changes were launched on Tuesday and will be resumed at the end of January.
Asked whether a unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence could affect the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lajcak said that this would create a specific atmosphere in the region, but stressed that "there is not one issue that Bosnia would be dependent on or be a hostage of".
"Bosnia-Herzegovina has its own problems and their solution lies in the hands of its leaders. In this sense, using Kosovo is but an alibi for those who do not want to solve the country's problems," he added.
Lajcak was also scheduled to meet today the chairs of the parliamentary committees for EU affairs and foreign policy. He is to hold expert meetings at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday and then set off to Belgrade.

Rupel and Lajcak Discuss Bosnia's European Future

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