Bosnia and Herzegovina – Conversation between the minister and the foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (3 May 2021)

Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke yesterday with Bisera Turkovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The minister and his counterpart discussed the health crisis and the multilateral assistance provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the crisis thanks to the COVAX initiative and EU assistance, including with respect to ensuring access to vaccines.

The minister and Ms. Turkovic expressed their satisfaction at the quality of our bilateral relations which fall within the framework of France’s strategy for the Western Balkans. They expressed the hope that the bilateral agreement on the conditions for AFD intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be signed as swiftly as possible.

The minster condemned any challenges to the territorial integrity or existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state. As a “witness” to the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in Paris on December 14, 1995, France remains committed to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The minister called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to overcome their divisions in order to focus on the real challenges facing the country: the effective functioning of the democratic institutions, notably at the central government level; the consolidation of the rule of law, notably the independence of the judiciary; economic and social development. He reaffirmed France’s full support for Bosnia-Herzegovina’s future EU membership, which presumes the implementation of the structural reforms identified by the European Commission and endorsed by the EU Council.