The Chair of Bosnia’s Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo, participated on Thursday in the Western Balkans and the European Union leaders’ summit in Kotor, on the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

In her opening address, Kristo thanked the host of the summit, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajic, for his sincere dedication to strengthening regional cooperation and stability, as well as the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, for his constant support of BiH on its EU accession path.

Speaking at the “Current situation and plans for the future – New Growth Plan” panel, Kristo spoke about Bosnia’s European path and the important steps taken in the past, which resulted in the acquisition of candidate status and the European Council's decision to open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

She pointed out that BiH officially sent the European Commission a list of reforms with qualitative/quantitative steps for the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

”In the time ahead, while we are finalizing the narrative part of the reforms as well as the mode of distribution of funds, I will do everything to maintain our determination in the future, and to reach a common goal through cooperation, joint work and trust by consensus,” Kristo said.

She especially pointed out that BiH politicians “are working intensively on the promotion of the new growth plan in such a way as to indicate the importance of its implementation through the implementation of reforms concerning the rule of law, better functioning of institutions, strengthening of the business climate and retention of human capital in BiH, which lead to stronger economic growth, that BiH needs.”

At the end of her speech, Kristo expressed her belief that despite all the challenges in BiH, this is the best way to express determination and commitment to the European path, for which there is full consensus in BiH and which represents the main foreign policy goal of all constituent peoples and citizens.

She added that in September, Bosnia and Herzegovina will host the next summit of the leaders of the Western Balkans and the European Union.