Denis Zvizdic: Bosnia’s future lies with Europe, NATO

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s High Minister Denis Zvizdic says the vogue ahead for his country lies with the European Union and NATO.

Right by an satisfactory search recommendation from to Qatar, Zvizdic said his country is enforcing political and financial reforms, at the side of combating corruption, in its efforts to bolt up its integration course of into the EU and NATO.

He sees that as a course for financial prosperity, political steadiness and security for the of us of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zvizdic said he brought with him plenty of financial and funding projects to Qatar worth better than $2bn. He said such projects would relief Bosnia rep more jobs for its voters and enhance alternate and funding opportunities between his country and the Arab world at orderly.

He additionally discussed the upcoming current elections and the probability of running for the presidency.

Al Jazeera: What is the nature of your search recommendation from to Qatar and what are you making an are attempting to attain one day of this search recommendation from?

Zvizdic: Bosnia has good relatives with Qatar that goes assist 25 years. We maintain in mind Qatar as a honest buddy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The foremost purpose of this search recommendation from is to point to the financial probably of Bosnia and attract Qatari investments, which could maybe well profit each and every international locations. 

While the most important international protection purpose of Bosnia is to affix the European Union, this does no longer imply that we ought to no longer reach out to the Heart East and the Arab world for better financial opportunities.

The Arab world is at the 2nd investing in the Bosnian economy in areas bask in manufacturing, construction, transportations and the food sector. Overall, we wish to indulge in ties with each and every the West and the East.

Al Jazeera: Bosnia has submitted an utility to affix the EU in 2016 and the utility was authorized. What does Bosnia and Herzegovina hope to attain by joining the EU and NATO and the put issues stand at the current time?

Zvizdic: First, Bosnia Herzegovina is a decidedly European country in phrases of its outlook, tradition, history and geography. Within the closing three years each and every EU and NATO integration course of has been rushing up. In line with the most up-to-the-minute surveys, Seventy eight % of the of us of Bosnia are in favour of joining the EU.

By the high of this year, we quiz of the activation of NATO action map and enact a candidate tell site with the EU. There just will not be any such thing as an screech in our mind that we’re going to for sure develop into an EU. It is a topic of time.

Al Jazeera: it appears bask in that you indulge in stacked all of your fortunes on EU membership, what if issues went inferior, pause you indulge in a map B?

Zvizdic: There just will not be any such thing as a map B, we ideal indulge in map A. Our future is totally connected with the EU and the Usa. The EU is our strongest alternate partners specifically Germany. On the opposite hand, there would possibly maybe be not any motive no longer to indulge in honest relatives with other international locations bask in Russia and Turkey.

Al Jazeera: Pondering that your international protection orientation is tied to the EU and the US, is Russia meddling to your interior politics so that you can derail your membership in both the EU or NATO?

Zvizdic: There are sure attempts by Russia to persuade policies in the western Balkans. The shifting of the western Balkans toward NATO is in actuality traumatic Russia.

We would like to indulge in honest financial ties with Russia. On the opposite hand, we look our future as part of the EU. 

Al Jazeera: As a multi-national federation tell, would integration and membership in the EU resolve Bosnia’s thorniest complications corresponding to its complex political map that was created along national and ethnic lines in the aftermath of the bloody civil war one day of the ’90s, and its financial instability?

This, pondering that international locations bask in Greece for example, suffers from deep financial instability despite being an EU member.

Zvizdic: After we develop into contributors of the EU, two key complications will likely be resolved:

One – this would possibly maybe occasionally also merely attain security and steadiness by resolving the complications connected to the borders in the western Balkans. The EU price has emphasised that the six international locations in the western Balkans, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia Montenegro and Kosovo have to rep to the bottom of their border disputes before ascending to stout EU membership.

When the border complications are resolved, this would possibly maybe occasionally also merely cease any options or attempts by any occasion to alternate it, and thus this would possibly maybe occasionally also merely bring political steadiness and security

Two – the EU and NATO membership will end result in financial prosperity. Greece suffers financial complications on story of it did not put in pressure the urged EU financial measures that could maybe indulge in helped it out of its financial bolt.

Nonetheless settle for example international locations bask in Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia that are honest examples of East European international locations that adopted the EU measures and requirements and that despite the initial painful affect on the inhabitants, it ended up at an advantage and more prosperous in the lengthy hurry.

Al Jazeera: The present elections in Bosnia are slated to happen this October, does that point to the upward push of nationalistic rhetoric from the assorted national groups in the country and are you planning to hurry for president?

Zvizdic: As for as running for president, I would declare perhaps, I’d hurry for president, we can look what happens when the time comes.

As for the opposite part of the are looking ahead to, since its election season, it’s no longer irregular to look the upward push of rhetoric from all groups. This has develop into fashioned in Bosnian electoral politics. On the opposite hand, once the election is over, the rhetoric subsides and a political balance and a return to actuality takes safe.

Al Jazeera: Is there hope for democracy in Bosnia? Other international locations in the site indulge in seemingly moved on and grew to develop into at an advantage, why hasn’t Bosnia?

Zvizdic: I disagree with the evaluate that other Balkan international locations are at an advantage than Bosnia in that admire. Our site has lived by communism and authoritarian regimes for too lengthy. The transition to democracy takes time and it requires a alternate in thinking, tradition and values.

The foundations of democracy and free market economy ought to be authorized by our site. Gradually, nonetheless, we are heading in that direction.

Discover Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports