BiH submitted its application for EU membership

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dragan Covic on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina today has submitted a request for membership in the European Union (EU) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which holds the EU presidency, Bert Koenders.

The ceremony of handing the request of Bosnia and Herzegovina for membership in the European Union, the Dutch presidency of the Council of the European Union was held in Brussels.
Covic expressed his satisfaction that today, on behalf of the three constituent peoples and citizens of BiH submit a request for membership, and said that BiH has fulfilled all that he promised to fulfill in the last year to today submitted an application for membership.

"This time was not easy, but the positive energy and focus will continue to be an incentive to continue like this. I am confident that we will soon receive a positive opinion which will be our ultimate commitment to moving towards the path candidate status next year for Bosnia and Herzegovina, "said Covic.
He stressed that BiH before a lot of work when it comes to foreign policy to the European path and NATO path, but I will do, says Covic, on how to improve economic and social conditions in BiH and remain faithful on the path toward the European family that there is no alternative.

"This will be a year of great reforms in BiH, but on this trip we will not stop because we want to catch up with our neighbors, Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to this part of Southeast Europe and we want it in a practical way and to show," concluded Covic.
Koenders believes that this is an important day for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a first step towards membership in the European Union and congratulated the expressive aspirations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that the European Council dedicated to the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries.

Positive the adoption of the Reform Agenda and Action Plan and said that significant progress in implementing necessary that the EU could consider the application.
"The Council will consider your application when it deems that there has been significant progress in the reform agenda and be sure that BiH meets conceived at the time, we will do everything to bring the application of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the next step. BiH's future is in your hands and in the hands of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina ", attitude is Koenders.Analysts: This is the beginning of a long-term process
Submission of applications for membership in the European Union is the beginning of a long-term process that is against our country, agree analysts. Calling for greater transparency in decision-making, as well as the implementation of all commitments.

Mogherini-Hahn: Start of hard work for BiH
Today's ceremony was attended by the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn who congratulated BiH noting that this is the beginning of hard work.

Mogherini is good news call that was submitted applications for membership, and that is the result of hard collective work, and the consequences of a positive work BH, and EU officials and this is an opportunity when people in BiH can see that if the country's leaders and all levels of government working together can be achieved certain things.
"This is an important message for the future of this country and I hope that it will all keep in mind the next steps. You can count on us to continue our efforts with the same energy and the same sense of unity that we have a common future as the same continent as part of the same process of integration, "said.

She congratulated BiH. Leaders and institutions, saying that the account that will this momentum continue in the coming months.
Hahn believes that much has been done for BiH to surrender a credible application for membership, but it is only the beginning of a long journey, adding that membership can not be achieved within a few months, but the most important is called the fact that peoples in BiH have a EU perspective.

He commended the establishment of a coordination mechanism as one of the prerequisites, because there should be a real mechanism to communicate and work with the EU.
The ceremonial handing of the request of Bosnia and Herzegovina for membership in the European Union was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak.

Covic: This is a special dayChairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dragan Covic at a press conference in Brussels after the submission of the application for membership in the European Union stressed the two strategic objectives in connection with the Euro-Atlantic through BiH this year. He hopes the activation of an action plan for NATO in June, and next year the candidate status for membership in the European Union.Today Covic is characterized by special, historical, as another page in the Euro-Atlantic future of the country."In the next year or two, we will show in a practical way that we belong to a European future," he said.

Current year's test how they fulfilled the plans of the previous period, and for two reasons according to Covic: should continue to be positively affected by what was begun in the reform process, deny those who, because of the complex relationships in Bosnia and Herzegovina, did not believe in success, and on the other hand, 2016 is the year of local elections, which means that it should be carried out serious economic and social reforms and conduct the election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina has never been easy.
He called on all political factors in BiH to continue what they previously expressed declaratively and show that they want Bosnia and Herzegovina is moving towards a European future and that untarnjopolitičke activities do not interfere with the Euro-Atlantic orientation of the country.

What happened today will be an encouragement "to the next month we finish the story of the amendment of the electoral legislation," said the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We'll have to be an extreme social sensitivity, on the other hand, work on reforms that will encourage foreign investors and lead to job creation, his score.
Covic believes the adjustment of standards and adds that there is no reason that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not adequately protect domestic production, on the other hand, accept the European standards for export.
At the press conference, thanked the High Representative for Foreign and sigfurnosnu policy of the EU and vice-presidents of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and pregovopre on expanding Johannes Hahn for almost daily contacts and partnerships that are expressed in the current process of BiH towards keeping with European integration.

• 15 Feb, 2016
• 1458 views