Members of the Collegia of both Houses of the BiH PA held talks with the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Parliaments of Nordic and Baltic Countries

(Patria) - The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH PA) Denis Zvizdić, the Speaker of the House of Peoples of the BiH PA Nikola Špirić, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the BiH PA Marinko Čavara, and the Chairwoman of the Club of the Croat People in the House of Peoples of the BiH PA Marina Pendeš, on behalf of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the BiH PA Dragan Čović, met today with the presidents and vice-presidents of the parliaments of eight Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8), who are on a multi-day joint visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Speakers of the Parliaments of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Finland, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, and the Deputy Speakers of the Parliaments of the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Estonia, and the Kingdom of Denmark sent a unified and strong message of support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to strong support for the European integration process of our country and the entire Western Balkan region, the presidents and vice-presidents of the eight Nordic and Baltic parliaments expressed their readiness to provide Bosnia and Herzegovina with all other forms of assistance, in addition to political support, on its path to full membership in the European Union (EU).

They highlighted the fact that, throughout history, Nordic and Baltic states have gone through various phases of mutual relations, but that this visit represents an example of responsible and joint regional action by countries that have gone through the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration towards their neighboring countries. They called on all parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to focus on dialogue, the implementation of reforms which, as they said, are not only a condition for further progress on the European path but are necessary for all citizens of BiH, and emphasized that the doors of the EU remain wide open for our country and for all Western Balkan countries.

In an open and sincere dialogue, the members of the collegia of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH presented their assessments of the current political situation in the country, as well as the overall geopolitical circumstances in Europe and the world that have or may have an impact on the EU enlargement process and on future developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkan region.

They welcomed the support that the NB8 countries provide to BiH on its European path, and emphasized that 78 percent of citizens in BiH support the European integration process, which, as they said, is the highest percentage of support for EU membership among all Western Balkan countries. They appealed to their colleagues from the Nordic and Baltic countries to continue supporting the EU enlargement process to the Western Balkans, and assessed that this is not only in the interest of the region's countries but also of the EU, which, they warned, cannot be complete, stable, and secure without the membership of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all Western Balkan countries.

During the talks, it was expressed that this joint visit of the presidents and vice-presidents of the parliaments of the eight Nordic and Baltic countries is expected to contribute to the development of bilateral relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of the NB8 group, especially in the economic sphere, as well as in strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation.