Tajani and Schallenberg: We are the strongest duo advocating for the opening of EU and BiH accession talks

(Patria) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković hosted a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg.

Konaković stated that they discussed the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the establishment of the Europol contact point and the start of negotiations with Frontex, which is important for the European Union as well.

"We noted what Varhelyi said, that this is the best report in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but that there are several important tasks that we hope will be recognized and fulfilled properly, not at the expense of BiH institutions, even though it is an important moment," Konaković said.

He stressed that at this moment, leadership is needed from the European Union and that one cannot only talk about bureaucratic procedures.

"We reminded ourselves of the importance of economic processes, the volume of trade between BiH and the EU, member states, and candidate countries. We export over 93 percent to EU countries, and it is impossible to find an approximate alternative; that is our destiny in economic terms," Konaković said.

He also mentioned that if the support package is implemented, BiH will receive one billion euros and the opportunity to integrate its market into the EU market, which will alleviate fears of a double pension fund and give young people the prospect of staying.

Konaković said he was surprised by how closely the foreign ministers follow what is happening in BiH in real-time, and noted that Schallenberg approached him in Munich after half an hour to inform him that the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering had been adopted in the House of Peoples.

He stressed that the visit of the foreign ministers shows more than any message.

The Italian minister said they were there today to support the opening of accession talks.

"I am very pleased because we are working hard to achieve this goal, we support your reforms. The situation today is better than ever in the history of your country. That is important, your commitment will pave the way for the opening and conclusion of negotiations for you to become a member of the European Union," Tajani said.

He added that the Western Balkans is a priority for Italy, stating that together with friends, like Austria, a group has been formed to help BiH.

"We are committed to strong strategic cooperation, to stability in the region, to working against terrorism, against human trafficking, against drug trafficking, and illegal migrations. Cooperation in this sector and the adoption of anti-money laundering laws are all important achievements, and you are working diligently with us to achieve this goal together," Tajani said.

He said the goal is to increase the number of Italian companies operating in BiH, as well as the number of tourists.

"I am very pleased to see such good progress. Of course, there are problems, there are problems everywhere, which is why we need to work step by step, it is important to have a strategy. I understand the problems in the RS very well, but I am more optimistic than I was before. Italy is not alone in these efforts; today we are here because we want to send a message that we are united in supporting BiH to achieve good results. I think it is important that we have this unity among us in the EU; if you want to win this fight for BiH, then we must explain the importance of BiH's membership in the EU. The Western Balkans is a key priority for us and for the EU, so we must work together to help this country. You have problems everywhere, but our strategy is stronger than the problems, and that is why I am optimistic about BiH's membership in the coming years. We want to support these efforts," Tajani concluded.

The Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, said that this visit is an important sign of Austrian-Italian support.

"We are the strongest duo advocating for this region, but especially for Bosnia and Herzegovina. You are not only close to us geographically but also close to our hearts. We also participate in the EUFOR Althea mission. BiH is important to us in every sense. We were among the first to call for the opening of accession talks," he recalled.

Schallenberg expressed hope for the green light to open accession talks, stating that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made impressive progress in recent months. In this context, he mentioned the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and the agreement with Frontex.

"Now is the time to act. No political force in this country should believe that it can stand aside and that this is a process that has nothing to do with them. Any political force that thinks it can obstruct BiH's European path is stealing the country's future and the future of its young people," Schallenberg emphasized.

He mentioned that, according to World Bank data, as many as 44 percent of Bosnians and Herzegovinians live outside the country.

"In Austria, we have benefited from this. That is why it is important to stop the brain drain. Anyone who thinks they can obstruct this is playing with fire and gambling with the future of this country. You need to close ranks in this country and move in the same direction; that is the key message of this visit. It is time to get to work," he stated.

He said that this is a critical moment for geopolitical security because war has returned to Europe.

"We are here to say that we must create a concept of stability and security. The only way to achieve this is for all Western Balkan countries to become members of the European Union," Schallenberg indicated.