Bosnia-Herzegovina - Minister Catherine Colonna’s meeting with her counterpart Ms Bisera Turkovic (11 November 2022)

Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke today to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Bisera Turković.

The Minister reiterated France’s full support for Bosnia-Herzegovina’s European prospects. She called on Bosnian leaders to overcome their differences and engage in a constructive dialogue in order to form all government entities as swiftly as possible, following the elections on 2 October. She also stressed the urgent need to concentrate on reforms that are key to the country’s closer ties to Europe, especially those identified by the European Commission in its recommendation concerning the granting of candidate country status. This will be an important factor in the decision taken by the European Council on this issue in December.

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, this meeting also offered an opportunity to express the EU’s solidarity with the Western Balkans – on energy, among other things.

The Minister also commended the UN Security Council’s unanimous decision to reauthorize the EU’s EUFOR ALTHEA operation for another year. That decision showed gratitude for the operation’s vital contribution to the stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Western Balkans.

Lastly, the Minister expressed her commitment to the excellent bilateral relationship that exists between France and Bosnia, and her hope of signing a bilateral agreement in the very near future that would allow the French Development Agency to operate in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Statement by the ministry for europe and foreign affairs spokesperson