TOPCAGIC: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED IN BOSNIA AFTER INITIALLING OF SAA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 10,2007) – Dirk Lange, Head of the EU General Direction for Expansion, in charge of Bosnia, stated in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that all the Southeastern European countries now have at least a form of initialed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. He hopes that this will mean that those countries will get a new elane for building relations with the EU.

Addressing participants at the Regional Conference of the European Democrats at the European Parliament, which assembles the conservative and people’s parties, Lange stated that the remaining signings of SAA are to be expected in the first half of 2008. That would create entire network of countries which will regulate relations with the EU. That is precondition for strengthening of regional cooperation,he said.

Implementation of the SAA is the best preparation to make sure that the countries get a status of candidates for the EU, Lange said.

Commenting the visa regime facilitation for the region’s countries, which is to be put in force January 1 2008, Lange stated that the European Commission is supportive of full liberalization of the regime, provided that the readmission agreements are settled.

Head of the Bosnian Direction for European Integrations Osman Topcagic stated in his address that everything has changed in Bosnia after the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. Situation had been everything but simple only a week before that,he said.

Initialing of the SAA has shown the “soft power” of the EU at its best, Topcagic stated. He emphasized that things do not fall into place by themselves. People dedicated to their jobs make sure that happens.