Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the PA BiH, Dr. Dragan Čović held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary in Budapest

Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH), Dr. Dragan Čović held a working meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó in Budapest, as part of his official visit to Hungary. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and cooperation, the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European path and shared work priorities. They also talked about the protection of the constitutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the protection of the rights of the Croatian people as a constituent nation in BiH.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples, Dr. Čović informed the minister about the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing his commitment to preserving peace, stability, territorial integrity, and the constitutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the light of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, which will be celebrated at the end of the year, he informed the minister about the current efforts to achieve the necessary changes in the electoral legislation in order to protect the constitutionally defined rights of Croats and to achieve legitimate representation.

Speaking about current processes, Dr. Čović stressed the need for urgent implementation of European reforms, stressing Bosnia and Herzegovina's path towards the European Union as a key foreign policy priority.

On this occasion, Dr Čović thanked Hungary for its consistent support for BiH's European path and the rights of the Croatian people and expressed his full readiness to continue cooperation through an open political dialogue.

The official program continued with a press conference, during which the Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples Dr. Čović said: "I am convinced that precisely through this understanding and your voice through the institutions you represent, Bosnia and Herzegovina will get a well-deserved chance for an accelerated path towards the European Union."

Minister Szijjártó confirmed once again that Hungary strongly supports the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the European Union. "We believe that the European Union should open the door to BiH, because only by including the countries of the Western Balkans can we ensure long-term stability on the continent," said Minister Szijjártó.

At the conclusion of the visit, the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation was emphasized, and the interlocutors also emphasized the good bilateral relations of the two countries, as well as the mutual readiness to further strengthen the partnership, which will contribute to the further development of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Along with Dr. Čović, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples, Darijana Filipović, MP in the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, attended the meeting, while the Minister was accompanied by State Secretary Peter Sztaray, Deputy State Secretary Henrietta Balajthy, member of the Friendship Group of Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina Gábor Erős, and ministerial commissioner dr. Gyula Budai. (Statement from the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples, Dr. Dragan Čović)