Christian Schmidt, the international peace envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum it was of great importance for Bosnian authorities to meet necessary conditions, to seize the opportunity and start the accession talks with the European Union.

High Representative Schmidt stressed that the negotiations are crucial not only for the economic but also social progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the strengthening of the stability and prosperity in the country and the region.

Emphasising the importance of the active engagement of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union and the respecting of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a peace deal which ended the Bosnian 1992-95 war, Schmidt held talks with various officials on the sidelines of the event, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the leaders of the Western Balkan countries, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic-Buric, UK special envoy for Western Balkans Stuart Peace, and others.

“Engagement with the European Union presents Bosnia and Herzegovina with a transformative opportunity,” said the High Representative and remarked that “it is imperative the country capitalises on this moment to further integrate into the European family and unlock the numerous benefits such integration entails.

The envoy also emphasised the necessity of urgent reform of the electoral legislation concerning the integrity of election process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is important for democratic principles, transparency and strengthening of trust among the citizens in the election process.

“Elections need to fully reflect the democratic will of the voters without controversy,” said Schmidt.