Mr Presidents, Prime Ministers, Your Excellencies, dear friends,

I am happy to be back in Sarajevo today on such an important day for the European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a great pleasure and honour to initial the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and the Interim Agreement with your country.

I regret the slight delay of today’s ceremony.  The delay was not due to political reasons but because of bad weather.  Please take it as a sign of the EU’s commitment to BiH that both Foreign Minister Luis Amado of the Portuguese EU Presidency and Doctor Javier Solana, High Representative for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, wanted to be here with us today.  Unfortunately, they could not land in Sarajevo, and so they are here only in spirit, not in person. Both Luis Amado and Javier Solana have contributed greatly to the initialling of the SAA by their encouragement and support, just like we have received strong encouragement from EU member states.

Why is the Stabilisation and Association Agreement important? For one, it will bring concrete benefits to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It means more trade and economic opportunities and it means closer co-operation with other European countries in key areas in the framework of the European Union –  for instance in fighting organised crime and solving cross-border environmental problems. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement is also the gateway to candidate status to the European Union, provided that it is properly implemented. The Agreement contributes to the establishment of a stable and predictable legal environment for potential investors. I am confident that it will create a sense of growing stabilisation amongst potential investors, who will see your country as a new promising location for their operations. The reforms promoted by the SAA will contribute to the growth of the economy of the country and thereby help create jobs. For these reasons, I want to warmly congratulate the citizens and leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina on this achievement.

I want to congratulate the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular, for acting in a true European spirit of compromise and paving the way for a normalisation of the political situation and for the implementation of police reform.

You have, as leaders of your country, proven the “Cassandras” wrong – those who predicted an eternal political crisis or even worse. Instead, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been able to able to break the political stalemate and take a major step on its road towards European integration. Bosnia and Herzegovina should and will become master of its own destiny in the framework of the European Union and European integration.

I want to thank EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčak as well for his substantial contribution to this watershed of a political development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

So, dear friends, it is now essential to keep up the momentum, finish the job for the SAA, and get prepared for future challenges on your European road.  But today is a day to celebrate, it is a great European day for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our presence here today, our work together in the last couple of weeks, is a concrete proof that Europe wants you to join once you are ready to do so.

Thank you.