Bosnian Security Minister Nenad Nesic arrived in Brussels for a working visit on Thursday, where he met in separate meetings with European Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The officials discussed Bosnia's EU path and meeting the conditions from the security sector on that path.

It was emphasised during the meetings that the candidate status, which Bosnia and Herzegovina recently obtained, should be used to speed up the process of meeting the EU's recommendations and establishing cooperation with EU security agencies, according to the statement issued by the minister's office.

Nesic stressed that Bosnia's accelerated EU path is of crucial importance for safe and stable future of the region.

“The agreed political goal of the Council of Ministers in this mandate is to work on joining the EU, and our cabinet treats it extremely seriously and with dedication. As Minister of Security, I insist on the only possible path to the EU – through agreements, compromises, talks and concrete results, all while respecting the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said the minister.

He informed Commissioner Varhelyi that the last obstacles to the establishment of full operational cooperation with EUROPOL have been removed, which will be formalised with the opening of the Contact Point office at the Ministry of Security in May and the dispatch of a liaison officer with EUROPOL to The Hague. They also discussed the establishment of cooperation with FRONTEX, expressing optimism regarding the signing of an agreement on cooperation with this EU agency.

The talks with Commissioner Johansson focused on the migration management and the return of migrants to their countries of origin.

Nesic emphasised that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to more intensive cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans and with the EU in the approach to the migration management, especially in terms of preventing illegal migration and the joint fight against organised criminal groups.

They also discussed the joint fight against terrorism, prevention and fight against violent extremism, as well as cooperation and strengthening the fight against organised crime and corruption, according to the statement.