The effort that was required to secure visa-free travel for BiH citizens was designed to give people from this country “the same confidence, the same protection, the same advantages that are enjoyed by citizens from EU states,” High Representative and EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko said today.

“The object was to secure real benefits for BiH citizens by implementing ambitious but sensible reforms – and that is what has been done,” the HR/EUSR told participants at an award ceremony in Sarajevo.

At the ceremony the European Movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina honoured the HR/EUSR and Member of the European Parliament Tanja Fajon for their contribution to securing visa-free travel.

“The European Union laid out the requirements and then helped the BiH authorities meet these requirements, and when the requirements had been met, the EU responded by inviting Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the system,” the HR/EUSR said, and he added that the same model can now be applied to a whole range of reforms that will take Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the European Union.

“Now is the time to get back to work,” the HR/EUSR said. “Now is the time to make a fresh start. We all know that opportunities have been squandered in recent years – but that does not mean that Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot get back on the European road.

It can get back on that road and it must get back on that road – because that is the road that the citizens of this country wish to travel.”