STOCKHOLM (Chatnewstv.com) — The foreign ministers of Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a joint call for accelerated democratic reforms Monday, marking a three-decade milestone in relations with a firm commitment to bring the Balkan nation into the European Union.
In a joint op-ed released Dec. 29, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković urged domestic leaders in Sarajevo to “seize the moment” following the European Commission’s recommendation to open accession negotiations.
“The door to the European Union is open, and now is the time,” the ministers stated. “EU membership remains a strategic objective and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s foremost foreign policy priority despite internal challenges and rhetoric that risk undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
The push for enlargement comes as Swedish public support for admitting new member states reaches record highs. According to the ministers, 79 percent of Swedes support EU expansion once requirements are met—the highest rate in the bloc. Similarly, over 80 percent of Bosnians believe membership would be beneficial.
The ministers outlined three primary pillars for progress:
Accelerated Reform: Prioritizing judicial independence, anti-corruption measures, and media freedom.
Regional Cooperation: Deepening economic and security ties within the Western Balkans.
Economic Integration: Leveraging the success of the 2004 and 2013 enlargements as a blueprint for growth.
“The ten countries that joined the EU in 2004 saw their GDP per capita increase from 59 percent of the EU average in 2004 to 81 percent in 2022,” the ministers noted, highlighting the tangible financial benefits of the single market.
The diplomatic push arrives 30 years after Sweden joined the EU and the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War. The ministers characterized the large Bosnian diaspora in Sweden—many of whom fled the 1990s conflict—as a “living bridge” that has strengthened economic ties and job creation between the two nations.
The statement also framed EU enlargement as a matter of continental security in the face of ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine. “Enlargement is not only about prosperity, it is also about securing lasting peace on our continent,” the ministers wrote.
While Sweden remains one of Bosnia’s largest bilateral donors, the ministers emphasized that the “responsibility to move forward lies with domestic leaders” to meet the rule-of-law requirements established by Brussels.
