BIH Took over SEECP Chairing from Slovenia

Bosnia and Herzegovina took over chairmanship of the South-East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) from Slovenia today. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Dr Denis Zvizdić said on that occasion that the one-year long chairmanship over the largest regional forum is a major obligation and incitement for contribution to the regional cooperation. 

While addressing to the SEECP convention, Chairman Zvizdić said that strengthening of security, stability, good political climate, together with fruitful economic relations and cooperation in democracy and justice areas are among the main aims. He emphasised that within its SEECP mission, Bosnia and Herzegovina will, support strengthening of human resources and tackling with illegal activities and terrorism, with a view at transformation of the region in the area of peace and stability.

“We have the capacity  and wish to join forces to secure the South-Eastern Europe become a positive example of a successful regional cooperation, infrastructural connectedness and friendly relations. BIH is keen to continue strengthening of regional cooperation, as it represents one of prerequisites for economic development”, Chairman Zvizdić said in his address.

He stressed that the SEECP offers an excellent possibility for all-level dialogue, in order to exchange knowledge, best experiences and lessons learnt from various sectors, which will eventually represent the region as a success story and will accelerate the European integrations process for those members from the region still in “waiting room” for the EU membership.

“Countries of the region launched a political initiative, within SEECP, and took ownership of the processes in the region through notions of peace and stability creation, good neighbourly relations and economic development by way of taking effort to leave times of instability, conflicts and collective apathy behind themselves and become constructive partners to Europe. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a clear and strong interest for stable and prosperous Europe. BIH has enshrined co-existence and multi-ethnicity, solidarity and understanding through centuries. The basics of European integrations also rest on these principles. We, too, highlight the fact that a dialogue based on the European values and principles, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, respect for diversities and human rights represents the foundation for functioning of the united Europe”, Chairman Zvizdić said to the forum.

He underlined that the European Union membership represents the highest foreign policy priority and that is the strategic aim of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We try to do our best to accelerate our European road, and our goal is to become the EU membership candidate country by the end of 2018 or in early 2019. In that sense, Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes messages by the European Commission concerning credible enlargement prospects to the Western Balkans countries, as an important political message pointing at the clear intention of the European Union in relation to our region. We highly appreciate the decision by the Bulgarian chairmanship of the European Union to put the topic of the European Union enlargement to the Western Balkans at the “centre of its priorities”, Chairman Zvizdić said at the end of his address, congratulating to Slovenia for successful chairmanship of the SEECP.

The meeting on Brdo kod Kranja was attended, other than Chairman Zvizdić and Prime Minister of Slovenia Miro Cerar, by prime Ministers of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov, Croatia Andrej Plenković, Montenegro Duško Marković, and Kosovo* Ramuš Haradinaj, as well as representatives of the European Union, Serbia, Albania, Romania, Greece and Macedonia.

The SEECP was founded upon an initiative by Bulgaria in 1996 under the title Balkan Initiative, for strengthening of economic and political cooperation, promotion of good neighbourly relations and common combat against organised crime.