Dnevni avaz: Head of the European Commission (EC) Delegation in BiH, Dimitris Kourkoulas will open today the new office of the Delegation in Sarajevo. In conversation for the "Dnevni avaz" on that occasion, he said that that event came in time of disturbing events on the BH political scene.
I am disturbed by the fact that only few days or weeks before signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement, in BiH, instead of having a debate on European perspective, reforms and problems of citizens, in public we still have debates on sustainability of the country and on secession – says Kourkoulas.
Warning to politicians
He points out that such debates have to be stopped. Otherwise, there will be nothing of European perspective and continuation of integration of BiH in the European Union.
If there is no stop to debates on that even on rhetorical basis, then you can forget about Europe. All our efforts, and they are not small, to help BiH worth nothing if people here do not stop talking about that. That is not only anti-Dayton but also can not relate to European integrations – says Kourkoulas.
According to him, only the whole BiH can become the part of the European Union.
If you do not accept BiH, then I am sorry, but forget about Europe – says the head of the EC Delegation.
He points out that that warning is related to all the politicians in BiH who participate in such discussions, including the prime minister of the RS, Milorad Dodik.
It is not enough to just talk about the European integrations. It is as clear as a day that if we continue to talk about sustainability of BiH, then we can forget about Europe – says Kourkoulas.
Symbolic time
Talking about the new building, which he will open together with the director of the Directorate for Enlargement of the EC, Mike Leigh, he says that it offers excellent infrastructure.
It is symbolic that we open the new facilities in times when BiH counts days to signing the SAA. We came in Sarajevo in 1996, only few weeks after signing of Dayton Agreement. In the beginning we mostly dealt with humanitarian aid, but in the last years our contribution is to help the state to overcome the challenges of the European integrations – said Kourkoulas.
Form boards for implementation of the SAA
When it comes to implementation of the SAA, he points out that BiH has to form seven boards for implementation of the interim agreement.
I know that my friend Osman Topčagić and the Directorate for European Integrations of BiH work a lot on that. Implementation is crucial for BiH as a precondition for further progress of BiH towards a candidate status – said Kourkoulas.