Pusić: EU should react immediately with a specific approach for Bosnia

(Hina) The European Union should conceive a specific approach for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession, it should react immediately and find a European solution

(Hina) The European Union should conceive a specific approach for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession, it should react immediately and find a European solution, Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić said on Monday, summarizing the discussion about BiH at the EU Council in Brussels.

After demonstrations in the Federation of BiH, which were in part violent, the EU Council held a discussion about BiH, although not foreseen by the agenda.

“If there is a common thread in these discussions, it’s that Europe should react immediately, that it is a European issue, and that a European solution should be sought,” Pusić said after the meeting.

She reiterated Croatia’s position that today’s events in BiH should not turn into ethnic conflicts and that responsibility rested with everyone, both within BiH and outside.

Pusić also repeated that the EU should conceive a special model for BiH, different from the usual accession process – an accession pre-process of sorts – to deal with the outstanding issues that have been set as prerequisites for launching the accession process.

“Such an approach is gaining more and more favour and today’s atmosphere swayed towards immediate reaction, towards a specific approach. We should not forget the social circumstances in BiH: unemployment, the economic situation and all that led, at least in part, to dissatisfaction,” Pusić said.

She reported that the ministers said that High Representative Catherine Ashton and Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Fuele would visit BiH the following week.

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