Bećirović spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden Tobias Billström

(Patria) - Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Denis Bećirović spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden Tobias Billström in Stockholm as part of an official visit to the Kingdom of Sweden. This is the first official visit of the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH to the Kingdom of Sweden since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Kingdom of Sweden in 1992.

During a substantive and open conversation, Bećirović informed Minister Billström about the current political and security challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.

He thanked the Kingdom of Sweden for its overall assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially Minister Billström as an active advocate for the European Council's decision to open negotiations on Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership in the EU.

Bećirović stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina's entry into the EU and NATO is a geostrategic investment in peace, democracy, security, stability, and prosperity.

He pointed out the importance of Sweden's accession to NATO and emphasized that NATO membership is one of the strategic goals of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The North of Europe is much safer after Sweden and Finland joined NATO. The Western Balkans is currently the weak point of the European security architecture, and therefore it is necessary to accelerate the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina's entry into NATO," said Bećirović.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, Tobias Billström, expressed the importance of the first visit of the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH to the Kingdom of Sweden, as well as the need for more intensive cooperation between the highest officials of the two countries. He strongly emphasized Sweden's full support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and highlighted Sweden's commitment to peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.

He recalled that on the 28th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Sweden joined EUFOR (ALTHEA), thereby further committing to providing support for preserving the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also pointed out that the Kingdom of Sweden supports EU enlargement, as well as the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bećirović and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, Tobias Billström, concluded that the relations between the two countries are very good and friendly, marked by friendship and based on mutual respect. The intention to improve economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in other areas, was also expressed.

During the conversation, Bećirović thanked the Kingdom of Sweden for its strong support in adopting the Resolution on July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Genocide in Srebrenica in 1995 in the UN General Assembly. Sweden was one of the co-sponsors of the Resolution, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will never forget that, Bećirović concluded.