MEPs Schieder, Köster and Reuten support BiH's European path

After the meeting, MP Andreas Schieder told reporters that today, May 9, is a special day not only for BiH but also a very special day for Europe, because it is marked as Europe Day and has a special symbolic significance for Europe.

He said that at today's meeting, as members of the European Parliament, they discussed cooperation, a common path to the future for BiH.

“We talked about what the European path for BiH is. We support the membership and candidate status of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EU. However, it is clear that the EU is not just institutions and the EU was not created just to have different structures like the European Parliament, but it implies values that are very important to lead under the leadership of political parties and political elite. This applies to all those who have the ambition to become members of the EU,” said Schieder.

MEP Dietmar Köster said they had talked to a group of parliamentarians to get more information on the new, very complex situation BiH is facing and "to see how we can make a momentum and move forward and what approach we need to take in order for BiH to approach the EU membership."

“We also talked about calling the elections, which were announced by the Central Election Commission of BiH for October, and we emphasized that the elections must be free and fair. We talked about the candidate status of BiH. I am in favor of the candidate status of BiH, but it is very important that some steps are taken in that direction, that the integrity of BiH is preserved and strengthened, and that Milorad Dodik ensures the continuation of the work of state bodies. We should also ensure that Russia does not instrumentalize Dodik, so that it can exert influence in BiH,” Köster pointed out.

He added that they also discussed a very important topic, and that is the huge need to improve the social situation of ordinary citizens in BiH.

MEP Thijs Reuten said that this is a special day and it is no coincidence that they chose this special day for the EU and for BiH, for all citizens, to come to BiH and talk in a spirit of cooperation on "overcoming all problems and challenges”.

“It is necessary to support the candidate status of BiH for EU membership, but it is necessary that the wishes and ambitions are accompanied by deeds, that European values are accepted and implemented and that we all work together on that,” said Reuten.

Answering a journalist's question, Dietmar Köster said that this was "a very dangerous situation in the conditions of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, along with such an unstable BiH."

According to him, the goal of this aggression, among other things, is to "destabilize the EU and then exert influence in BiH."

“It is very important to strengthen political relations in order to prevent this influence. As you know, some sanctions were passed against Milorad Dodik, and it is very important that Dodik is now forced to ensure the continuation of the work of state institutions. Serbian President Vučić can also help with that. It is very important that we return to normal and in some way ensure that the situation is not further destabilized,” he said.

Saša Magazinović, Chairman of the SDP BiH caucus in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, said that it was no coincidence that MEPs Andreas Schieder, Dietmar Koester and Thijs Reuten chose May 9 - Victory Day to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina. He added that they are sincere friends of BiH and "people who are very active members of the European Parliament when it comes to BiH".

“Although BiH is not a member of the European Union, we have our representatives in the European Parliament. They are these people. They are politicians, people above all, who promote European values in BiH, but not the modified ones, but the same values that are valid in Vienna, Berlin and Amsterdam,” stated Magazinović.

(FENA) A. B.

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