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BiH to apply for EU membership in 2015 or 2016: official

Xinhua, June 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chairman of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH) Denis Zvizdic announced on Monday the country will apply for the membership of the European Union (EU) at the end of 2015 or early 2016.

He made the marks over the occasion that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and BiH entered into force earlier in the day.

"BiH will sign agreement on regional cooperation with all countries from the EU in next two years. SAA will create better condition for business environment in BiH which will lead to better employment rate," said Zvizdic.

He added the country must introduce painful reforms.

The SAA establishes a close partnership between the EU and BiH, deepens the political, economic and trade ties between the two sides.

Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Special Representative Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark noted that the SAA implies certain commitments for both sides.

"We want stability in this country ... instability is not in anyone's interest. EU is not a utopia, we do not have solutions for everything, but it is the best answer for current opportunities," Wigemark stated.

The SAA will upgrade the EU-BiH relations through the establishment of a dedicated institutional framework, SAA Council, SAA Committee as well as Sub-Committees. SAA Parliamentary Committee will also be established between the European Parliament and BiH Parliamentary Assembly.

The entry into force of the SAA will also increase the confidence of investors as it will allow both Bosnian companies and EU companies to access their respective markets.

The first meeting of the SAA Council is expected to take place in the second half of 2015. Endit