Zvizdić meets with Austrian Foreign Minister

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić received today in Sarajevo the Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Karin Kneissl, with whom he discussed the improvement of bilateral relations and Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path.

It was noted that relations between the two friendly countries are good and without open issues. Chairman Zvizdić informed Minister Kneissl about the reform processes and Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path. He said that after a period of stagnation, this Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has initiated positive reform processes within the country and brought new energy to the European aspirations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which resulted in the successful completion of the response to the European Commission's Questionnaire.

Minister Kneissl expressed Austria's full support for the reform processes, Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path, and the EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkan countries. She emphasized that Austria supports the territorial integrity of states, reconciliation, stability, and the building of democratic societies in the Western Balkans. She added that Austria has a special sensitivity towards Bosnia and Herzegovina given the historical ties and the fact that about 160,000 people from Bosnia and Herzegovina live in Austria.

Chairman Zvizdić said that Austria is significant for Bosnia and Herzegovina in every respect: economic, political, cultural, and historical. He said that for years Austrian companies have been the largest investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expressed the expectation that this positive trend will continue.