News item | 19-01-2024 | 12:35
Prime Minister Rutte will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 January. The Prime Minister visits Srebrenica, the Dutch troops at EUFOR Althea and, together with President of the European Commission Von der Leyen and Croatian Prime Minister Plenković, will hold talks with the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Croatia, the Prime Minister meets with Prime Minister Plenković.
The visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina starts on Monday at the cemetery next to the Srebrenica Memorial Center Potočari, where the Prime Minister will lay a wreath. In the memorial center he talks to the Mothers of Srebrenica. The Prime Minister will then receive a tour of the memorial center, including the exhibition “In the footsteps of those who did (not) cross” will view. At the end of the afternoon, the Prime Minister will travel to Sarajevo where he will visit the Dutch troops at EUFOR Althea.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will have a meeting with High Representative Schmidt for Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the European Commission Von der Leyen, Prime Minister Plenković and Prime Minister Rutte will speak jointly with the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For example, meetings are scheduled with the College of Parliament and with the Council of Ministers, chaired by Borjana Krišto, of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Prime Minister and EC President Von der Leyen will also have a meeting with the three-member rotating presidency, currently chaired by President Komšić. The discussions are mainly focused on the EU accession dossier.
The visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina will conclude with a joint meeting with civil society.
Prime Minister Rutte will then travel to Croatia for a meeting with Prime Minister Plenković. During the meeting, discussions will include good bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation on (geopolitical) files important to both countries.