The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, is on a mission to Sarajevo, together with the Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, for a joint mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the possible opening of the accession negotiations with the EU, fully supported by Italy, will be the central theme of the visit. The said visit takes place one year after the previous joint visit to the country of the two Ministers and reaffirms the great attention that Italy and Austria pay to the Western Balkans.
Ministers Tajani and Schallenberg will jointly meet the Foreign Minister, Elmedin Konaković; the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (a collegiate body composed of Željko Komšić, as Croatian member, Denis Bečirović, as Bosnian member and Željka Cvijanović, as Serbian member); the President of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto; the EU Special Representative and Head of the EU Delegation, Johann Sattler, and the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.
Hon tajani said: “The growth and stability of the Western Balkans is a priority for Italy, in light of the deep ties that bind us to this region. For this reason, as a government we are strongly committed to accelerating the process of European integration”.
The Deputy Prime Minister will meet a representation of the Italian contingent of the EUFOR Althea mission, in which Italy holds the position of Deputy Commander, thus confirming the leading role of our country for the security and stability of the Balkan region.
Minister Tajani will also inaugurate the “Bosnia and Herzegovina-Italy Economic Dialogue”, an event that will see the participation of Italian companies present in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnian companies. He stated: “Economic ties with the Balkans are at the heart of our growth diplomacy strategy. We want to further boost investment and trade with Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which we are the second largest trading partner globally and the first supplier country, and to ensure that our companies are increasingly present in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” On the sidelines of the event, an economic cooperation agreement will be signed, which aims to promote cooperation between both countries’ economic operators, thus exploring the possibility of joint access to third country markets.