Sarajevo (Fena) – Last week, the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PSBiH) hosted a Conference of Parliamentary Committees for European Integration (COSAP), organized by the Joint Commission for European Integration of PSBiH with the assistance of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the German GIZ.
Following the conference, Zdenko Ćosić, Chairman of the Joint Commission for European Integration, informed reporters that discussions covered the geostrategic implications of European Union membership, economic integration, and the role of parliaments in cooperation.
Ćosić noted that while substantive discussions were held and general consensus was reached on many topics, there was no agreement on the joint statement.
Addressing a reporter’s question about the main issue, he recalled that there were initiatives to amend the committee’s Rules of Procedure, which were established when Serbia and Montenegro were a single entity and Croatia was outside the EU. He highlighted a proposal from the Albanian delegation to “define the status of Kosovo.”
– Consensus was not achieved on whether Kosovo should be identified as a country in the joint statement. The reasons are clear: on one side, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not recognized Kosovo as independent, and on the other, Serbia opposes this, leading to our current situation – Ćosić stated.
However, participants agreed that the pace of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession process needs to be increased.
Some attendees expressed concerns that the European Union often issues empty promises, contributing to rising euroskepticism. Nonetheless, Ćosić emphasized that the EU is requesting more than mere assurances, referencing Ms. Ursula von der Leyen’s recent statement in Belgrade that it is time to transition from words to action.
– If all political entities demonstrate genuine intentions, the European Commission’s progress report should serve as our guide and roadmap to advance towards the first ministerial conference, paving the way for EU membership negotiations – Ćosić added.
Conference participants included representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and guests from Georgia and Turkey, along with members of the diplomatic corps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU Delegation in BiH, and experts from RCC and German GIZ.
During the discussions, parliamentarians from COSAP member states underscored the urgency of accelerating the European integration process for all regional countries, emphasizing that no nation should be excluded given the current geopolitical landscape.
The need to bolster regional inter-parliamentary cooperation to enhance oversight of executive authorities, particularly regarding European integration, and to prepare all countries in the region for EU membership was highlighted.
Attendees expressed gratitude to the host for organizing the successful Conference and extended their support to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, set to assume the next chair of COSAP. (21.11.)
Leave a Reply