Thank you so much for having me and hosting me again in Sarajevo. And thank you very much for accompanying me yesterday to the region that has been hit so hard by the devastating floods. I, first of all, want to extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. It was heartbreaking yesterday to see the destruction and devastation caused by the floods in Jablanica. So I really want to reassure the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and specifically of that region, that Europe stands with them. We are by your side, and we will continue to support you. Thank you for mentioning the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. As a candidate country, you are included in those who can work with the Civil Protection Mechanism, and indeed many Member States immediately came to support. I think this is also a strong sign of how well-respected Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the region and how many friends are around you, as neighbours and partners, to support you. You mentioned the Solidarity Fund. Indeed, this is the Fund for natural disasters that Member States but also candidate countries can use for reconstruction, and it is very good that you will apply for that. But we thought: At the moment, right now, you need immediate help. And therefore, we decided to mobilise EUR 20 million for the immediate help. And then in the second step, the Solidarity Fund will support you in reconstruction and recovery.
Dear Borjana, I also want to thank you for the enormous commitment from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the accession path towards the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina has come a long way. But with hard work, with a lot of dedication and determination, you now have achieved candidate status. It really makes a difference. The Member States have decided now to open accession negotiations in March. I think this was a historic moment when we witnessed that. But it is first and foremost a result of the hard work and the efforts of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who were very clear about the future they want to see. Of course, a lot of work is still to be done in the accession negotiations. I know that you are working very hard on crucial laws related to the European fundamentals – that is democracy and the rule of law. I have full confidence in Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance on its path to the European Union. Your country has proven this time and again in the past that it can move forward. You have shown that you can deliver when the country speaks, acts and moves forward as one. I am confident that we will see this more often.
Dear Borjana, I want to assure you and the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina that also in my second mandate, enlargement will be at the top of my agenda. There is a window of opportunity now. We really should move together. We have all the instruments and necessary tools in place to make this a reality. And therefore, I am determined to really take this momentum to move forward together with Bosnia and Herzegovina. I want to mention two initiatives. The first is the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. It is our roadmap to already integrate parts of your economy into the Single Market. We open the door of the Single Market for specific sectors, so that companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina can access the Single Market. For that, we need reforms so that we have a level playing field. And with the reforms comes additional EU funding to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I know that you are fully committed to this, and we could just also listen to your words. I just want to say that we stand ready to help you finalise the Growth Plan. I think that Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves this opportunity, and I know that I have a strong partner to work with so that we make it happen together.
