CROATIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER MET WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBERS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 15,2008) – “Bosnia and Croatia are two neighboring and friendly countries. Your visit is a significant step forward in relation to the bilateral relations and solving open issues between the two countries”, said the Bosnian President Željko Komšić.

According to him, Croatia is a country that is heading toward the European Union and NATO membership and Bosnia can learn from the Croatian experience.

”There is a special situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because of which our path to the EU membership is sometimes slower and sometimes faster. We have goals we do not question – entering the European Union and NATO”, President Komšić stressed out.


“My first visit as a foreign minister to neighboring Bosnia is a sign that we believe in relations with Bosnia. We want to deepen our good-neighbors relations and we want a level of cooperation that will serve as an example to other countries,” said the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandroković.

He added that numerous issues between the two countries have already been solved and, as he said, there are plenty of bilateral agreements that could be ratified. He expressed Croatia’s willingness for the Interstate Council’s prompt meeting.

Minister Jandroković pointed out that Croatia would increase its advisory role because it wants to cooperate with Bosnia at the Euro-Atlantic integration level.

“Croatia’s policy by entering European Union is to become a connection between EU and Southeastern Europe because our interest is having a stable and a peaceful region and neighborhood”, said the Croatian Foreign Minister.

Bosnian Presidency Member Dr Haris Silajdžić said he was pleased with the fact that Minister Jandroković first visited Bosnia.

“We believe that Croatia’s progress and the progress of every country in the region toward European Union is a gain for Bosnia. In the EU, stability is encouraged with integration. We must speed up the process”, Silajdžić emphasized.

“Relations between Bosnia and Croatia can be enhanced and we can solve all issues. Bosnia needs help toward the EU-membership and I thank Croatia, which has some experience in the process, for the given support”, said Bosnian Presidency Member Nebojša Radmanović.

During the meeting, they also talked about the situation in the region and the developments concerning Kosovo. The Bosnian Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić said that for Bosnia, the existence of political stability in the region is very important.

The Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandroković said Croatia, in relation to Kosovo, would follow the policy of European Union.