The chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's House of Representatives, Denis Zvizdic, on Thursday wrote in his letter of congratulations to Zagreb on Croatia's presidency of the European Union that he expected Zagreb to "promote in a proper way" the progress made by his country on its European journey.

Zvizdic's letter sent to Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic reads that Bosnia perceives Croatia's six-month rotating presidency as a period of strong promotion of the importance of the project of the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Zvizdic writes that the region of the Western Balkans belongs to the family of European families strategically, historically, as well as culture-wise.

One of the two essential foreign policy objectives of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to become a full member of the EU. This objective, alongside the integration into NATO, is a priority and has no alternative, he says explaining that the membership of the EU and NATO is supposed to ensure “a permanent peace, long-term stability and economic prosperity.”

He underlines that his country has been, is and would like to be “a noticeable and reliable partner in the processes of Euro-Atlantic integration and in the creation of peace and stability within regional and international frameworks.”

Zvizidc, a former prime minister, says that in the past few years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant steps forward on its journey towards the EU and during the Croatian presidency of the bloc, Sarajevo expects “the proper promotion” of that headway resulting in the decision that Bosnia and Herzegovina may be given a status of candidate country for the EU membership.

This would be the best and most concrete message and support to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zvizdic writes, among other things.