The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday 12 March. Her programme began with a round of meetings with the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. HR/VP Ashton met the three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – H.E. Bakir Izetbegovic (Chairman), H.E. Nebojsa Radmanovic and H.E. Zeljko Komsic – and the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, H.E. Vjekoslav Bevanda. The HR/VP then continued to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for discussions with the Foreign Minister, H.E. Zlatko Lagumdzija.
To reflect the significant investment of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) fund, the HR/VP toured the Sarajevo City Hall (Vijecnica) where construction and refurbishment is currently being finalised. In total the EU has invested over 7 million euro in this building alone, and 13 million in the last 6 years for the restoration of cultural heritage across the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The HR/VP had the opportunity to hear about the reconstruction process for representatives of the EU’s contractor, Safege, and from workers at the site.
After lunch in the Bascarsija area of the old city, the HR/VP returned to the building of the EU Delegation/EUSR where she met members of civil society. The discussion, which lasted for an hour and a half, focused on the causes of the recent protests in Bosnia and Herzegovina and what action civil society recommends to help Bosnia and Herzegovina move forward in its EU integration. Participants were drawn from across the country and included people who participated in plenums, organisations dealing with human rights, environmental issues, think tanks and the media sector. Organisations invited include Vive Žene – Tuzla, Youth Initiative for Human Right- Sarajevo, LIR – Lokalna Inicijativa Razvoja (Local Development Initiative) – Banja Luka, Entrepreneurship and Business Association LINK – Mostar and Think Tank Populari – Sarajevo.
Speaking to the media at the end of the visit (read the transcript here), HR/VP Ashton underlined that the primary responsibility for the country’s EU integration lies with its leaders. However she also underlined that the EU is ready to look at more ways to help Bosnia and Herzegovina to achieve this. “This is not about lowering the bar, it’s about helping you to get over it,” she said. The HR/VP reiterated the strong commitment of the EU to the citizens of the country: “We are determined to stand with the citizens of the country […] They want employment opportunities and a growing economy, a social welfare system that works, they want the rule of law and an efficient justice system,” she added.
