Lagumdzija expects BiH, Serbia to step up cooperation

SARAJEVO – Bosnia-Herzegovina's (BiH) Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija has said that the big victory of Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the March 16 early parliamentary elections in Serbia is a great encouragement for the region.

Lagumdzija said that Vucic claimed victory insisting on justice and work, and his foreign policy priorities are joining the European Union and regional cooperation.

He said that Vucic’s statement stressing his intention to deal with the future, rather than the past, is encouraging, as BiH is interested in the future in the EU in the same way as Serbia.

“Vucic is trying to bring together many other people, who have lost the elections, despite there being no need for that, which speaks about the political maturity of the policy he pursues,” Lagumdzija said.

BiH finds it very important to know that Vucic places unity, integrity and democratic future of BiH, as a country integrated into broader regional and European areas, among Serbia’s priorities, he said.

Republika Srpska media outlets quote Lagumdzija as telling Anatolija news agency that Vucic’s victory should help step up trilateral cooperation between Serbia, BiH and Turkey.

However, he expects cooperation between BiH and Serbia to intensify first and also that the first joint meeting of the Serbian government and the BiH Council of Ministers, which was postponed because of the Serbian elections, will be held soon.

Photo Tanjug, Rade Prelic (archive)