Izetbegovic: We got strongest support to our EU membership

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The European Union’s Strategy for the Western Balkans and what it contains is some sort of a therapy for the problems we have in Bosnia, said Chairman of Bosnia’s Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic, speaking at the European People’s Party Summit in Sofia on Wednesday.

According to Izetbegovic, the summit was probably the strongest support of the European Union and powerful centres of power to the EU membership of the Western Balkans.

“I have never seen such strong and full support of all those who could help,” he added.

Izetbegovic emphasized that all six flagship initiatives of the EU’s Strategy for the Western Balkans got support, but that he focused on four elements.

“The first one is that we need the peace in the Balkans. Secondly, we need reforms through negotiations with the European Union and, thirdly, we need a strong and fast construction of infrastructure, which will give an incentive to economies in the Balkans. And the fourth one are friends, that’s what we have,” he underlined.

Commenting on the alleged influence of other countries in the Balkans, he said, in his opinion, this is being overrated.