Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina sign joint declaration in European integration sector

Chisinau, 20 March /MOLDPRES/ - Foreign and European Integration Minister of Moldova Tudor Ulianovschi and Foreign Affairs Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina Igor Crnadak signed a joint declaration in the European integration sector between the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry of Moldova (MAEIE) and Foreign Affairs Ministry of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Chisinau today, the MAEIE public diplomacy, strategic communication and media interactions service has reported.   

The ministers said that the document would contribute to the deepening of the bilateral cooperation, including by the organization of topic-related consultations, exchange of experience and expertise in the European integration field. Tudor Ulianovschi and Igor Crnadak noted that the signing of this declaration proved each country’s commitment for the goal of joining the EU, as well as the openness for the consolidated cooperation in this process.   

“The affiliation to the South-East European space, as well as the European integration objective, assumed by Moldova and Bosnia & Herzegovina as national priorities, places our countries into a friendly context for the development of a mutually advantageous bilateral cooperation. I agreed with Minister Crnadak to develop this bilateral dialogue, fostering it with new contacts both on the political dimension, and on the commercial, economic, social and humanitarian ones,” Minister Tudor Ulianovschi said.   

In the context, the Moldovan diplomacy head informed his Bosnian counterpart that Moldova would back the taking over by Bosnia & Herzegovina of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in next summer and will support actions and projects promoted by the Sarajevo government within SEECP.   

While analyzing the bilateral economic cooperation, Ministers Tudor Ulianovschi and Igor Crnadak said that this collaboration was not fully turned to account and there were possibilities of deepening through facilitating trade exchanges and investments’ liberalization. In the context, the Moldovan foreign affairs minister reiterated Moldovan side’s interest in signing the agreement between the two countries’ governments, as well as possibility to open an honorary consulate of Moldova in Sarajevo, which will help develop the commercial, economic and cultural relations between the two countries.    

For his part, Igor Crnadak stressed that Bosnia & Herzegovina was interested in the extension of the bilateral ties with Moldova on all dimensions, including in terms of exchange of experience in Moldova’s European integration. “Presently, over 25 cooperation agreements are signed between our countries; yet, we believe that the cooperation fields can be extended; I mean especially the customs sector, justice, economy, tourism, etc. We are open for collaboration and will support all initiatives received both from institutions of Moldova and from Bosnia & Herzegovina,” the Bosnian foreign affairs minister said.      

Igor Crnadak made an invitation to his Moldovan counterpart to pay an official visit to Bosnia & Herzegovina, in order to continue the dialogue between the two states, both at the bilateral level and within diverse regional organizations.