BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija, who is currently on an official two-day visit to Brussels, discussed political and economic issues in the context of overcoming the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, improving regional relations, and European integration with EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, on Tuesday evening.

Tegeltija emphasized the commitment of the BiH Council of Ministers to the country’s path towards EU membership with full respect for the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement and the constitutional competencies of all levels of government in BiH, and stressed that the basic precondition for successful implementation of all EU integration processes is intensive communication and dialogue, which has been almost disabled since March last year.

He reaffirmed BiH's determination to become part of European social, economic and political structures, stressing that a decision on granting BiH candidate status would give a strong impetus to reform processes and intensify political dialogue on difficult issues.

Tegeltija expressed gratitude for the European Union's continued engagement in strengthening political and economic ties in the Western Balkans region, as well as for its support in efforts to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two agreed that a strong, stable and prosperous Western Balkans is in the interest of both the EU and regional countries and that it is necessary to work on improving regional cooperation as a mechanism for progress towards the EU in the coming period.