Pusić and Bevanda: Bosnia must help itself before EU helps it

(Hina) - A new European Union approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is necessary but the country must show willingness and determination to carry out reforms

(Hina) - A new European Union approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is necessary but the country must show willingness and determination to carry out reforms, Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić and BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda said in Sarajevo on Friday.

Pusić told reporters Bevanda informed her about the preparations and efforts being invested in BiH to facilitate the possibility that EU member states "recognise the political will in BiH" and start defining a new approach to the country.

She said that was especially important and that the talks with Bevanda focused on what BiH could do to step up its EU integration.

Pusić reiterated that consultations were yet to begin in the EU on the possibility of a more active approach to BiH. She said some in the EU were "positive about it, some are neutral and some are sceptical."

"It's important that, whatever the new approach, it is a joint position of all EU member states," she said.

Alongside Croatia, Slovenia too has advocated a new approach to BiH. Its foreign minister, Karl Erjavec, has forwarded such a proposal to the member states.

Responding to a question from the press, Pusić said those proposals were not opposed, although Slovenia's also mentions the need to convene a new conference on BiH regarding its constitutional reorganisation.

"Croatia didn't mention any new conference on BiH because at this moment alliance with all relevant political factors in BiH is crucial," Pusić said, referring to the fact that there was no agreement on the constitutional changes among politicians in BiH.

Bevanda said BiH did not ask for lower EU membership criteria and that he realised that BiH must do a lot on its own.

"We want to open European prospects to our state, even though now it is in a stalemate, perhaps even in a fog," he said, adding that European bars would not be lowered but that there were positive attempts to change some things in the approach to BiH.

Pusić ended her working visit to BiH by meeting with the EU Special Representative to BiH, Peter Sorensen, and was also received by the members of the state Presidency.

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