„I came to Sarajevo because we care for Bosnia and Herzegovina, its citizens and the speeding up of its European integration process. Together with Mr Carl Bildt, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the EU Presidency, and Mr James Steinberg, Deputy State Secretary of the United States of America, we convened this meeting because we are concerned about certain political blockage which, to a large extent, prevents before all the European integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its path to the membership in the NATO and its path to a visa free regime” stated after landing at the International Airport Sarajevo on Thursday 8 October 2009, Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement, who will participate in the discussions in Butmir with BiH political party leaders and representatives of the USA and the EU.

“Our objective is to speed up BiH’s path in the European integration process and to bring it soon to a candidate status for the membership in the EU. In the recent past, Bosnia and Herzegovina was left one step behind its neighbours and I hope that the things in the next two days will develop in the direction of taking BiH back on the path of progress towards the EU“ – stated Mr Rehn.

When asked by a journalist if there was already a constitutional changes package, Rehn replied:

„We have prepared certain strategic proposals, but we will discuss them with the political leaders of this country. We need certain amendments to the Constitution in order for the BiH institutions to become functional, as only a sovereign country with a functional state structure can be a credible candidate for the EU membership. If we act in this direction, Bosnia and Herzegovina could soon become a candidate country. What we offer is to speed up the process which leads to the candidate status for the membership in the EU and, as soon as possible, the abolishment of visa regime for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the NATO has certain conditions for speeding up the process of  becoming its member“ – replied Rehn.

He added that the transformation of the OHR represents a necessary step which BiH needs to take in the European integration process.

„We will work on the basis of the Dayton Peace Accord in order to improve the functionality of the state. It is important to us because we want to see a country which will one day become EU member, a sovereign and functional BiH, able to speak with one voice in the European institutions and capable to respond to the requirements that the associations process entails“- stated Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement, in his address to the journalists.