Dr. Lagumdžija and Minister Mogherini: The country's recovery after floods is a great challenge for B&H, but at the same time an opportunity for new beginning and unification



On 24 July 2014, Deputy Chariman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija met in Sarajevo with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy Federica Mogherini who paid a one-day working visit to B&H as a representative of the country which presides over the EU.

Dr. Lagumdžija expressed his satisfaction over decision of our great friend Minister Mogherini to make her first trip abroad to Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina as a chairman of the EU Council of Ministers. He assessed this as a clear signal that Italy will continue with the new EU approach to B&H which is defined by conclusions of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in April this year and one of its initiators was Minister Mogherini.

He was pleased as the visit of Minister Mogherini was organized after the Donors' conference in Brussels where Italy made a lot of contributions, not just as a bilateral donor but also through activities of the EU institutions and international financial institutions. He said that this visit is additional impetus to urgent implementation of funding that has been provided to B&H after the Donor's conference. 

Minister Mogherini thanked Dr. Lagumdžija for cordial welcome and informed him of priorities of the Italian EU Presidency. She pointed out that these priorities are economic growth and employment, restoration of European citizens' faith in the EU and foreign policy, and she also stressed that Italy will focus on enlargement policy and creation of conditions to continue the progress of regional countries towards the EU membership.  

Dr. Lagumdžija thanked Minister Mogherini for the previous and further assistance that Italy has provided to B&H in the process of recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of catastrophic floods and for Italy's commitment to setting European integration of B&H and the Western Balkans in general as one of priorities during the six months of Italy's presidency over the EU.

Speaking about the process of recovery and reconstruction of B&H in the aftermath of floods, Dr. Lagumdzija emphasized that the country's recovery is a great challenge for B&H, but at the same time an opportunity for new beginning and unification. „Ordinary citizens of B&H are perfect example of showing great solidarity and being united during the floods and we should use this in the best way in order to work together and to work efficiently on recovery of the country“, said Dr. Lagumdzija.

He added that the country's recovery is an opportunity for new and accelerated reforms related to the reform package of economic development and the rule of law. Economic and social reforms are needed to be implemented immediately and after October elections we need to implement key structural and constitutional reforms including implementation of the Sejdic-Finci judgment and with involvement of important international actors.

With regard to the above mentioned, Dr. Lagumdzija believe that, after October elections, political platform for the purpose of forming a government will be the existence of readiness and clear vision of wider structural reforms aimed at creating more functional state. 

Dr. Lagumdžija welcomed new views of the European Union when it comes to what it used to be enlargement and now it is about European integration of the Western Balkan countries and consolidation of the remaining part of the territory.

During the meeting Dr. Lagumdžija and Minister Mogherini discussed further activities, and the Meeting of the Western Balkans foreign ministers with German Chancellor Merkel to be held in Berlin in August, as well as the meeting between the Western Balkans foreign ministers and European Commissioner Stefan Fule on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, than adoption of the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy in October which is very important for the region and implementation of the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy in November.