EU Ambassadors in BiH: Bosnia and Herzegovina is our home, Europe is yours

A review by all ambassadors of European Union member states accredited to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EUFOR commander and the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH/EU Special Representative in BiH.

Three weeks have passed since the reality of the coronavirus pandemic hit Bosnia and Herzegovina. And it feels like a year!

Fighting an invisible enemy through solidarity

Although the European Union is Bosnia and Herzegovina's largest trading partner and its largest donor, our relationship is not based solely on mutual economic benefits, nor even on geography or culture, but on the fundamental principle of solidarity that brought Europeans together in the years after World War II. In that spirit, we cooperate today with the citizens and authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will never abandon this principle because without solidarity we cannot succeed in our efforts to defeat the virus! Countries around the world, including those in Europe, have introduced quarantine measures and travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. However, this does not mean they have given up on helping each other. The export of medical equipment from the EU has not been suspended. It continues, subject to prior approval by EU member states. BiH has also been invited, like its Western Balkan neighbours, to join the Joint Agreement for the procurement of emergency medical equipment together with EU member states. Swift action is now needed to finalise the procurement process.

We are also working together to facilitate the transport of goods across borders, within the region and with the EU. We hope that all countries in the region will join BiH in expressing support for the Transport Community and Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) initiative to establish 'green corridors'. The corridors are designed to speed up the flow of goods essential for the region, including BiH. Another 'solidarity mechanism' is the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, which has just been activated to ensure in-kind assistance for BiH from the resources of member states.

We are in daily contact with the authorities in BiH and actively coordinating with the UN, the World Health Organization (WHO), international financial agencies and EUFOR.

Our only goal is to provide concrete assistance as quickly as possible directly to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Health comes first

That is precisely what we had in mind over the past three weeks as we raced against time to provide assistance in procuring the most essential medical equipment for BiH. To this end, last week, Ambassador Sattler, on behalf of the European Union, signed with UNDP the first part of the financial assistance package, totalling 7 million euros. Deliveries are already underway – 7,500 tests have been distributed, and 15,000 protective visors for medical staff will be delivered by the end of the week. The first 40 ventilators arrive in April, and the rest in May.

It is also important to preserve jobs

In addition to the pressing health issues, we are very aware of how difficult this situation is for the economy in BiH in general, and especially for small businesses. The European Union is mobilising over 410 million euros in aid to the Western Balkans for the COVID-19 response. Financial assistance for BiH will amount to up to 80.5 million euros to support addressing the consequences of the Corona virus in terms of urgent medical needs and socio-economic recovery.

Personal responsibility: #StayHome

In the meantime, our European Union family in BiH has joined the campaign calling on citizens to stay at home to protect the most vulnerable and help slow the further spread of the virus. Essentially, it is about slowing down the virus to allow this society to fight the virus without overburdening medical workers and avoiding the collapse of the public health system.

Respect for human and democratic rights

While we support the necessary activities of the BiH authorities to address this crisis, it is of utmost importance to maintain an appropriate balance between preventive measures and respect for the human and democratic rights of all citizens. In this regard, it is particularly important to ensure that the rights and needs of vulnerable groups are fully respected and met in light of the current situation.

We are in this together

The virus has hit us hard in Europe, all of Europe, and we will defeat it together. We will win by relying on European values – values of cooperation, transparency and solidarity. Also, common sense. In the midst of this crisis, when solidarity is needed more than ever, the European Union remains equally committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since mid-March, our staff, like us, have been working from home. By home, we mean our home here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country is also our home, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's home is in Europe.

We are in this together and we will win together!