At the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bisera Turkovic, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, made a working visit to Sarajevo on 15 June 2022.
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Jean Asselborn ; Bisera Turkovic, Vice-première ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères de la Bosnie-Herzégovine
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Jean Asselborn ; Bisera Turkovic, Vice-première ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères de la Bosnie-Herzégovine
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Christian Schmidt, Haut-représentant pour la Bosnie-Herzégovine ; Jean Asselborn
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Christian Schmidt, Haut-représentant pour la Bosnie-Herzégovine ; Jean Asselborn
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Jean Asselborn ; Željko Komšić, membre de la présidence tripartite de la Bosnie-Herzégovine
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Jean Asselborn ; Zoran Tegeltija, président du conseil des ministres de la Bosnie-Herzégovine
Minister Asselborn was received by his Bosnian counterpart, Bisera Turkovic, for a bilateral meeting, which was followed by a press conference. The Minister also met with the member of the Tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, and the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.
In addition to bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the working visit to Sarajevo allowed the head of Luxembourg's diplomacy to have in-depth exchanges of views with his various interlocutors on the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans, as well as on issues related to EU enlargement. The Russian aggression in Ukraine and its consequences for the EU and the Western Balkans were also discussed.
In this context, Minister Asselborn began by emphasising Luxembourg's unequivocal support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In view of the important elections scheduled for October 2022, the Minister urged all political actors to abandon any secessionist rhetoric that could divide the citizens.
In the run-up to the meeting of EU and Western Balkan leaders in Brussels on 23 June, Minister Asselborn reaffirmed that Luxembourg remains firmly committed to the European perspective of all Western Balkan countries, and in particular of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this respect, Jean Asselborn announced that Luxembourg will continue to support the country in the implementation of the acquis communautaire, in particular through training aimed at familiarising the Bosnian administration with the European integration process. Luxembourg will also continue to support the projects of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The importance of implementing the 14 key priorities identified by the European Commission was also mentioned in this context, particularly with regard to the fight against corruption, the independence of the judiciary and respect for the rule of law. Finally, Minister Asselborn recalled that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, just like that of the other countries of the Western Balkans, lies within the European Union.
In addition, the meeting with the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, provided an opportunity to take stock of the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the eve of the meeting organised by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in Brussels, which brought together almost all the leaders of all political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Minister Asselborn eventually confirmed the continuation of Luxembourg's bilateral support to the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs