Bilateral consultations between the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of European integration, led by Acting Assistant Foreign Minister of the Republic of Serbia for the European Union Dr. Marina Jovicevic and Acting Assistant Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Multilateral Relations Mitar Kujundzic were held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The consultations were an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views, experiences and results in the process of European integration so far. Although at different stages of the process, both sides have expressed a clear mutual support to the efforts made to achieve progress in this process.

Ambassador Jovicevic congratulated on the recent filing by BiH of a formal application for EU membership, with the message that the Republic of Serbia is ready to share its experience from the previous process with BiH. In this connection, she presented to the interlocutors the material with the responses of the Republic of Serbia to the European Commission Questionnaire, which could help BiH counterparts in preparing the next steps in the continuation of the European integration process, with the aim of acquiring candidate status during 2017.

Also, she informed the interlocutors about the reform processes in Serbia and about the initial results in the negotiations with the EU, with reference to the undertaken and planned activities under the individual negotiating chapters.

She particularly emphasized the strengthening of regional cooperation as one of the conditions for long-term stability, economic development and prosperity of both countries.

During the consultations, the two sides, on the basis of the obligation stemming from Article 15 of the SAA, initiated the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the BiH Council of Ministers in the framework of the EU accession process, and discussed the next steps for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic Serbia and the Council of Ministers of BiH on cooperation in the context of European integration, which was signed in Sarajevo on 27 December 2012.

The BiH delegation also  met with the staff of the Office of the Minister without portfolio responsible for European integration and those of the Serbian European Integration Office.