Bosnia-Herzegovina needs more Europe not less, Deputy Prime-Minster and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday (19.02), after meeting with his Bosnian counterpart Zlatko Lagumdzija in Sarajevo, on the third leg of his tour of Western Balkan capitals. In his capacity as chair of the EU council, he stressed the European stance towards Bosnia-Herzegovina. Complex constitutional situations need to be avoided, and the real problems of the real people need to be confronted. The EU’s fundamental interest is the stability, territorial integrity and European perspective of this country and, of course, its citizens’ prosperity.

Visiting Pristina later in the day yesterday (19.02), Venizelos met with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi. In statements to the press after their meeting, the Greek minister said that Kosovo has a clear European perspective, in line with the European perspective of the entire Western Balkan region. The strengthening of EU-Kosovo relations and the promotion of the social and economic development of Kosovo are important for the wider Balkan region. The conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo, which will hopefully take place during this year, will be a milestone for the European integration of both Kosovo and the entire region.