Athens, 13 May 2021

Meeting of President of Parliament with Chairman of Collective Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

“Greece is an open bridge for you towards Europe” the President of the Hellenic Parliament Constantine Tassoulas assured the Chairman of the Collective Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Milorad Dodik during their meeting at the Hellenic Parliament. “BiH desires the European perspective and I thank you for your understanding and support on this path” answered Mr. Dodik who is in Greece to attend the Delphi Economic Forum. 

During their meeting the President of the Hellenic Parliament and the Chairman of the Collective Presidency of BiH made the following statements:

C.Tassoulas: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Hellenic Parliament on a sunny day of May, which improves our mood somewhat after the ordeal that your country, Greece and the world has been going through due to the pandemic. 

And it is a fortunate and interesting fact that in spite of the difficulties of the pandemic you are here to participate in the very interesting and fruitful discussions at the Delphi Economic Forum. 

Greece is at your disposal regarding your justified European ambitions. We are the country that 40 years ago opened the door of Europe to the Balkans. And after the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003, Greece, as the country holding the presidency, made the European perspective of the Western Balkans even stronger. 

There are many similarities and coincidences between our countries. We have both gone through 400 years of Ottoman slavery and this year in Greece we celebrate our 200 years of independence. One of the greatest Greek poets, George Seferis, was a diplomat and he won the Nobel Prize two years after another diplomat from your country who was also a poet did, Ivo Andrić.

Ivo Andrić has written great books, some of which have been translated into Greek. One of them speaks of the bridge on the Drina, the other about turbulent times. I borrow these words, which are full of meaning, to tell you that Greece is for you an open bridge towards Europe, so that your status as a potential candidate country may further develop.  And so that we may put the turbulent times we are going through behind us."

M. Dodik: “Thank you, Mr. President, for the beautiful hospitality. As Chairman of the three-member Presidency of BiH I wish to transmit to you the greetings of the other two members of the Presidency. I also wish to convey to you the desire of our Parliaments to meet with you.

Greece is the mother of modern Democracy. Parliamentarism has existed here for a very long time. I know that your position is very complex, and in complex times at that, due to the pandemic that is threatening all of us globally and due to difficult economic times. 

BiH doesn’t agree on much, however we do agree on one thing: our desire for the European perspective. And I wish to thank you for your understanding and support on this path. For those of us who are left behind, things are becoming more and more complex, but your support encourages us, when we know that some countries in the EU do not wish for the Union’s enlargement. This is why the support of our friends in invaluable.

You spoke of our common history. We share the era of 400 years of Ottoman slavery. In honour of our friendship and knowing how important the 200th anniversary of Independence is for you, we illuminated five important buildings on March 25th. This was done as a demonstration of our people’s love for your people.” 

Responding to the Chairman of the Collective Presidency of BiH, the President of the Hellenic Parliament said the following:

C. Tassoulas: “Chairman, I wish to add that we have two tools to help your country in a practical manner on its European path, the fundamental issue that you are concerned about. One is to revitalise, to further activate the bilateral agreement, the Memorandum of Cooperation that we have between Greece and BiH in the direction of helping you on your European path. The other tool is the fact that on July 1st of this year, in less than two months, and for an entire year, Greece will assume the Chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Hellenic Parliament will steer the Parliamentary Assembly of this initiative, therefore we can as a Parliament play such a supporting role. This is why we are joined by Mr. Amanatidis, an MP for the constituency of Kozani, who is the Chairman of the Greece-BiH Parliamentary Friendship Group”.

The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of the Greece – BiH Parliamentary Friendship Group Georgios Amanatidis, the Diplomatic Advisor of the Hellenic Parliament, Ambassador Constantine Economides and the Ambassador of BiH in Greece Milica Ristović Krstić.

After the meeting, Mr. Tassoulas guided Mr. Dodik through the anniversary exhibition “Beholding Liberty! At the Hellenic Parliament, two centuries later”.

 

 

 

 

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