The EU's council of foreign and defence ministers on 21 November approved the basis for talks on stabilisation and association with Bosnia-Herzegovina, similar to the basis for talks with Croatia and Macedonia. The start of that process was officially marked at today's ceremony in Sarajevo, while the first working meetings are expected to be held in January.
In an address to the Bosnian parliament Rehn said the decision of the EU Council of Ministers indicated that Bosnia-Herzegovina had so far been successful in implementing the reforms required by the European Commission.
Addressing parliamentary deputies and public figures, Rehn said that Bosnia-Herzegovina had a clear prospect of EU membership which had become even more concrete today.
The EU strongly supports the establishment of contractual relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rehn said, promising the continuation of the EC's full support so that the talks could be successfully completed as soon as possible.
He warned, however, that there must not be any delays in the implementation of the reforms which had been launched, particularly regarding the reorganisation of the police and the public broadcasting company, and full cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal, including the arrest of the most wanted indictees, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
Rehn also welcomed the recent Washington agreement between Bosnian political leaders on constitutional changes in the country.
He added that the country needed a constitutional evolution.
Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of Great Britain, the current EU chair, said in an address to parliament the European family wanted Bosnia-Herzegovina to join and that Bosnian citizens would be the ones to benefit the most from the integration process.
Prime Minister Terzic said he was confident that the completion of the process of EU integration would take less than ten years, which he said was how long the Dayton peace agreement had been implemented.
He warned that EU countries themselves had doubts regarding Bosnia's full membership, which was why it was necessary for the entire country and its citizens to show that they were fully ready and able to support the ongoing reform processes.
"I am confident that Bosnia-Herzegovina can rise to those challenges," Terzic said, adding that the signing of the SAA with the EU should be expected in the course of next year.