At the BiH Presidency: Merkel calls for adoption of the reform agenda

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met today with members of the BiH Presidency Mladen Ivanić, Bakir Izetbegović and Dragan Čović, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

In her address to the media, she said she was glad to come to BiH and that there are strong bilateral ties with Germany. However, the Chancellor also pointed out that there are certain problems in BiH that must be overcome.

- The development of BiH can benefit the entire region. We are pleased that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement has entered into force, and the next step is opening negotiations on the country's candidate status. On that path, we have one task, which is the adoption of the reform agenda - Merkel said.

She added that she came to BiH at a painful time, when the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide is being marked, and that courage is needed to shape the future so that such things never happen again.

- This is yet another example that the European perspective is very important - Merkel said, adding that everyone must move in that direction so that young people get the future they deserve.

- We hope that this will become a region that will live in peace. We still want to support BiH, but we are not doing it alone; the European Commission and other countries are also doing it - Merkel said, adding that they are following an approach that will improve the entire region - Merkel emphasised and invited the members of the BiH Presidency to visit Germany.

On this occasion, she invited state officials to visit the German Federal Employment Agency in order to engage skilled workers for professions for which Germany has needs.