Crnadak with Kurz: Talks on European integration and strengthening economic cooperation

Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Igor Crnadak met today in Sarajevo with the Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria Sebastian Kurz, it was announced from the MFA of BiH, reports the Patria News Agency.

The primary topic of the talks was the European integration of BiH. Minister Crnadak emphasized the importance of the upcoming submission of BiH's application for membership in the European Union and the support of member states for these efforts, and asked Minister Kurz for the Republic of Austria to continue its policy of providing strong support to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The meeting is also part of Minister Crnadak's planned activities to meet with as many EU member state foreign ministers as possible in the coming period, in order to secure affirmative support from EU partners for BiH's application for EU membership.

In addition to analyzing the good political relations between the two countries, Minister Crnadak and Minister Kurz also discussed the further growth of economic cooperation. During the talks, it was also emphasized that the Republic of Austria is continuously the largest direct investor in BiH.

The two ministers expressed satisfaction with the commencement of the implementation of a very significant cultural exchange project between BiH and Austria, titled The Year of Culture Bosnia and Herzegovina - Austria 2016, which will be officially opened today at the National Theatre Sarajevo, with the presence of the two foreign ministers.

The interlocutors agreed that the holding of a large number of different cultural events, Bosnian-Herzegovinian in Austria and Austrian in BiH, under the motto "Let's get to know each other (better)", will make a strong contribution to the further development of relations between the two countries, which are bound by strong historical, economic, cultural and other ties, the statement reads.