Foreign Secretary welcomes Bosnian President Izetbegovic
Foreign Secretary urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement Sejdic-Finci judgement and join her neighbours in making progress towards EU.
The Foreign Secretary William Hague met HE Bakir Izetbegovic, a member of the tri-partite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) at the FCO on 29 October.
The Foreign Secretary welcomed Mr Izetbegovic to the World Islamic Economic Forum taking place in London. He welcomed the improved relationship between Bosnia and Herzegovina and her neighbours, and congratulated Mr Izetbegovic on Bosnia and Herzegovina鈥檚 qualification for the World Cup in Brazil. Both expressed a hope that this success can be emulated in Bosnia鈥檚 EU progress.
Speaking after the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:
In my meeting with Mr Izetbegovic, I stressed the strength of the UK鈥檚 support for Bosnia鈥檚 EU and NATO aspirations, and encouraged all Bosnian leaders to work to make this a reality.
In particular, I expressed my deep concern at the lack of agreement on implementing the European Court of Human Right鈥檚 ruling on .
This hurts Bosnia鈥檚 progress towards EU and prevents her Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU coming into force, and lets down the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In the UK we are concerned that without genuine progress soon, Bosnia and Herzegovina risks being left behind as other countries in the region move towards EU membership. So we urge all Bosnia鈥檚 leaders to overcome their differences and reach agreement on .
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