Thank you for your warm welcome. I was very deeply moved by my visit to Srebrenica. We commemorate thirty years since one of the darkest chapters in Europe's recent history. Today I had the honour to pay tribute to the memory of the more than 8,300 Bosniak boys and men who were murdered in Srebrenica, in July 1995 and to the memory of those who remain missing. I also paid tribute to the mothers, wives and daughters who have carried the weight of grief through three long decades. It is our duty to remember and to preserve the truth, so that future generations know exactly what happened. The European Union will always remember the Srebrenica genocide. And we will never allow history to be rewritten. We as political leaders, have a great responsibility. They must acknowledge the established facts, genuinely honour the victims, and work actively for reconciliation. I know that this is what most of you are doing. But it is important that all follow this example, here in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the Western Balkans, because this is the only path toward a peaceful future for the next generation.
Dear Borjana,
Bosnia and Herzegovina has come a long way. And you are standing today at the threshold of the European Union. A year and a half ago, the European Council took the historic decision to open accession negotiations. This was a milestone to be proud of. And it was the result of hard work and efforts made by all institutions. This is the spirit which must now carry us forward. And it must also guide our work under the Growth Plan. You have recently submitted your Reform Agenda. I want to congratulate you for that. I know that you worked very hard on this. We are now assessing your reform agenda. We will keep in close contact on this. And I encourage to finalise and ratify the agreements needed to receive the funding. But it is absolutely worth to do these next steps now on our side and on your side, because in the very end, the Growth Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina is nearly EUR 1 billion.
Dear Borjana,
The priority is to hold the first intergovernmental conference. To pave the way for this, you need to pass the right reforms in the field of the judiciary. And most importantly, a chief negotiator must be appointed to steer the accession negotiations. That is now of utmost importance. It is your decision who that person is. That person needs all of your trust. But it is important now to appoint a chief negotiator because these negotiations demand focus, perseverance, and above all, unity, and with a chief negotiator we can immediately start the work that has to be done. We are friends of all communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And the future of all these communities is in the European Union.
Dear Borjana,
Enlargement is not only a matter of politics. It is first and foremost a matter of the heart. It is about the will and voice of the people. They must be heard. According to a recent opinion poll, 72% of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina trust the EU – the highest of any international partner. And across Europe, two-thirds of young people aged 15 to39 support enlargement. This is the most powerful message of all. The next generation wants to live in a stronger, safer, and more united Europe. Let us make it happen.
