The Foreign Ministers of Italy and Austria, Antonio Tajani and Alexander Schallenberg, described Bosnia and Herzegovina's recent progress towards the European Union as “impressive” and emphasised their full support for the country and its authorities on the road to the final destination.

The two ministers, who arrived in Sarajevo on Monday for an official visit, first met with their Bosnian counterpart Elmedin Konakovic.

After the meeting, Tajani declared in a joint press conference that Italy is always ready to support the country.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of Europe and should become a full-fledged member of the EU in the coming years. I am ready to do my best and support you on the way to this goal,” he told the media.

With regard to the possible opening of accession talks between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU, he said he was convinced that EU officials would give the green light for this decision.

“The situation today is better than ever before in the history of your country and that is important for us. Your commitment will pave the way for the start of talks, their conclusion and accession to the EU,” he emphasised.

Tajani also emphasised his country’s economic support.

“We want to increase the number of Italian companies here. This is good for us and good for our friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because it would increase the number of jobs,” he said.

Schallenberg also spoke to the media and shared Tajani’s enthusiasm about Bosnia’s path to the EU.

“BiH has made impressive progress in recent months. The anti-money laundering law, the start of talks on Frontex. They have achieved much more in the last few months than in the last few years,” he said, adding that politicians need to understand that this is a defining moment for this country.

Asked about the threats of secession by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, the ministers said that they were aware of the problems in Republika Srpska, the Serb-dominated part of Bosnia, but that they wanted to work for good results on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole.

“It takes time, but I am more optimistic than before because we are working hard. Italy is not alone here, I am here today with my friend, the Austrian colleague, because we want to send a clear message that we support BiH together in achieving good results,” he said.

Mr Tajani reiterated the importance of the Western Balkans region for Italy, Austria and Europe as a whole. “That is why we must work together to help this country,” he added.

In response to the same question, Schallenberg said that everyone in the EU had to ask themselves what they had done wrong.

“The Western Balkans is not a front yard, it is the centre of the EU. How could we allow third parties – Moscow, Beijing – to exert influence in the region, which is 100 per cent European?” he asked.

He then answered the question about the threats of secession directly.

“We strongly condemn Republika Srpska’s threats of secession. The EU accession process concerns the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not its entities or parts thereof. We as the EU understand that. As of 24 February 2022, we know that our Neighbourhood Policy is the most important geostrategic tool we have for the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova. It’s either us – the EU – or someone else,” emphasised Schallenberg.