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SARAJEVO, March 16 (FENA) – Chairman Seanad Éireann, the Irish Senate, Denis O'Donovan, said after today's meeting with members of the Collegiums of the House of Peoples and the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH PA) that the Republic of Ireland would provide full support to the European path of BiH and its application for EU membership.
In his address to journalists, he noted that Ireland and BiH had passed a similar path since Ireland applied for EU membership in 1961, and it took them almost 13 years to complete the negotiations and become a member.
He pointed out that EU membership was of paramount importance to Ireland, led to economic development of the country so that in the next 40 years they experienced an economic boom.
Senator O'Donovan, who is on an official visit to BiH, also said that when Ireland applied for EU membership, its neighbors were not in favor of them and they did not have the support of some other countries.
“The path toward becoming a member of the EU is really difficult. I am convinced that, with the support of some small members like Ireland, you will succeed along that path,” the Irish Senator said, adding that this would pave the way for economic cooperation, progress and all the positive things that would happen.
He thanked the BiH PA House of Peoples Chairman, Ognjen Tadić, for the support provided to the Republic of Ireland in order for it to become a member of the United Nations Security Council (UN) in 2020, which, he said, is a great honor for them.
Today's press conference was also addressed by Mr. Tadić who said that he sees senator O'Donovan's visit to BiH as a support to the efforts to cross its European path within the deadlines envisioned by the European Parliament Strategy so that it could become a member of the EU in the next one.
“Also, this visit was an opportunity to express our sincere respect and collective gratitude for all that Ireland has provided as a contribution to establishing a stable peace in this region and the development of BiH,” Mr. Tadić said.
He shared with the Irish Senator his expectations that the fact that BiH is approaching the EU would contribute to the establishment of stronger economic cooperation between the two countries.
In support of Ireland's future candidacy for temporary membership in the UN Security Council, he said that it was the result of a reciprocity policy, as Ireland also gave its full support when BiH was a candidate.
Both Mr. Tadić and Mr. O'Donovan expressed hope that bilateral co-operation through the membership in the Association of European Senates, whose members are both the Senate of Ireland and the BiH PA House of Peoples, will be stronger and that it will continue at a meeting in Bucharest to be held this year.
(FENA)
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