OHR's Statement at the International Agencies’ Joint Press Conference in Banja Luka

Schwarz-Schilling Meets with Chancellor Merkel


As you are all aware, the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, is in Berlin today for a series of high-level meetings.


He met with German Chancellor and EU Council President Angela Merkel at 10 o’clock this morning and we will make available a photo from this meeting together with a short press release as soon as is possible.


The focus of the meeting with Chancellor Merkel is the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in advance of the next meeting of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) on 26 and 27 February. The PIC is to review its decision to close the Office of the High Representative at the end of June this year at that meeting.


In the early afternoon, Mr Schwarz-Schilling will meet with Reinhard Silberberg, the State Secretary at the German Foreign Ministry and other officials. These meetings are also an opportunity to discuss  Bosnia and Herzegovina ‘s relations with the European Union.


Berlin has made developing the European Union's relations with the countries of the Western Balkans one of its foreign-policy priorities during its six-month Presidency of the European Union.

Europa.ba