PRESS CONFERENCE

Sarajevo, January 13th, 2009.

Press Release

Press Conference Held by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn, in an official visit to our country, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj held a press conference following a meeting on January 13th, 2009.

Minister Alkalaj expressed his satisfaction at Minister Asselborn's first official visit to our country, stating that Luxembourg has great influence within the EU and NATO regardless of its size. He added that Minister Asselborn's visit represents a good opportunity to consider and agree upon ways in which Luxembourg could help B&H to achieve its foreign policy goals through the EU and NATO.

Minister Alkalaj announced to the press that he has acquainted Minister Asselborn with B&H's foreign policy goals and that Minister Asselborn has promised Luxembourg's support in fulfilling them. Mutual support for the two countries' UN Security Council nonpermanent membership candidacies was exchanged. The Ministers also discussed advancing bilateral relations between the countries, primarily in terms of economic cooperation, and, in light of this, concluding agreements to aid investment in B&H.    

In his address, Minister Asselborn told the press that from a European point of view, when it comes to the Balkans and accession to the EU, B&H is not just a collective of regions or ethnic groups but a country, and that it should be promoted as such on its path to the Euro-Atlantic Integrations – since only a country can obtain EU membership. He warned that B&H must carry out reforms before a date for its entry into the EU can be discussed. In speaking of EU visa liberalization for citizens of B&H, he stated that B&H needs to complete the task of introducing biometric passports and that, in that sense, he encourages Minister Alkalaj and the Council of Minister of B&H to do so as soon as possible.     

After their statements, the Ministers took questions from the press.