Bećirović in Stockholm spoke with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament

(Patria) - Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović spoke with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden Andreas Norlén during an official visit to that country.

During the talks at the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), the interlocutors emphasized that the relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Kingdom of Sweden are very good and friendly.

The importance of the role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening ties between the two countries was highlighted, as well as the significance of continued political and financial assistance from the Kingdom of Sweden.

Bećirović expressed gratitude for the support of BiH's integration process into the EU and NATO. He pointed out that Sweden, as a country from the group of the largest and most significant bilateral donors, has been involved from the very beginning in the process of reconstruction and development of BiH and its approximation to the EU and NATO.

He added that cooperation with new NATO members is very important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of contributing to strengthening security and stability in Southeast Europe.

Norlén said that Sweden long-term supports the sustainable development and integration of BiH into the EU and NATO. He expressed a clear commitment to supporting the EU enlargement policy as the primary instrument of the EU with the goal of strengthening security, democracy, and progress in Europe.

Among other things, the intention was expressed to strengthen the already existing cooperation between the two countries in areas such as the rule of law, human rights, media freedom, gender equality, and the environment.

Furthermore, Norlén said that Swedish parliamentarians are ready to contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two countries. He said that the parliamentarians are well acquainted with the political and economic challenges in BiH and that this is contributed to by the Friendship Group with the Western Balkans, which operates in the Swedish Parliament.

Regarding the improvement of bilateral economic cooperation, given that the Swedish market represents one of the important markets of interest for Bosnian-Herzegovinian companies, the need for stronger connections between businessmen from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden was expressed.

It was noted that the BiH diaspora is excellently integrated into Swedish society and represents an important link in strengthening ties between the two countries. This was also contributed to by the signed Agreement on Dual Citizenship between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden, where more than 130,000 citizens of Bosnian-Herzegovinian origin live.

Bećirović added that the BiH diaspora represents an important bridge of cooperation between the two countries.