Magazinović: Crime and corruption are the biggest obstacles to the region's progress

The President of the Main Board of SDP BiH, Saša Magazinović, is visiting Belgrade where he is attending a conference titled "Strengthening the European Idea in the Western Balkans" organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence. Among other things, a political document of the SPD parliamentary group from the German Bundestag of the same name was presented at the conference, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

This document once again emphasizes the readiness of social democrats from the most developed EU countries to keep our region in focus, and their sincere commitment to making the accession process for the countries of the region as fast and successful as possible.

Analyzing the current situation, through this document, Bundestag MPs clearly define three important factors for accelerating the path to the EU: utilizing the new momentum that exists for the Balkan countries, improving the economy, and strengthening democracy and civil society.

Magazinović, as one of the panelists at this Conference, spoke on the topic "Improving Economic Development as a Prerequisite for EU Membership". On that occasion, he emphasized, among other things, the fight against crime and corruption as one of the very important prerequisites for increasing both foreign and domestic investments. In his presentation, he cited improving regional economic cooperation, as well as infrastructural connectivity of the region's countries through projects such as the Sarajevo-Belgrade railway and the Adriatic-Ionian and other transport corridors that should connect the countries of the region with each other and them together with the EU, as important aspects of economic development.

Magazinović used this address to emphasize the importance of the Berlin Process and the need for Balkan leaders to fully utilize the opportunities that arise within it. He also thanked the German social democrats once again for their contribution to the so-called "New EU Approach to BiH" seeing the light of day and becoming a relevant process that gives BiH a new opportunity to make progress towards the EU after a long period of stagnation.

Finally, he illustrated the uneven relationship of the EU towards countries aspiring to EU membership with examples from the Balkan region itself, and emphasized the large number of prerequisites for BiH that appeared and disappeared, which did not apply to other countries in the region. Therefore, he reiterated the call for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be granted candidate status for EU membership as soon as possible.

Concluding his presentation, he particularly emphasized the need to start BiH's negotiations for EU membership as soon as possible, and expressed the expectation that negotiations will primarily concern chapters related to the fight against crime and corruption, which, regardless of other major problems, are the biggest obstacles to the progress of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. It is clear to everyone that there are many people in the region in responsible positions who, out of personal fear of the rule of law, hinder the progress of the region's countries towards the EU, and such an approach and order of steps is necessary, Magazinović emphasized.

In addition to participating in the Conference, Magazinović also had a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of sister parties from neighboring countries and the EU, where views were exchanged on the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of the region.