Austria intends to intensify the EU's relations with the Western Balkan in accordance with the goals the union set at aits Thessaloniki summit, he told the press, adding that Austria intended to organise special and frequent meetings between EU members and Western Balkan countries at the ministerial and expert level.
He highlighted a meeting of foreign ministers to be held in Salzburg in mid-March, the first such summit since Thessaloniki.
Speaking of EU-Bosnia relations, Almhofer voiced confidence that it would be possible to successfully close negotiations on stabilisation and association this year, which he said would significantly change the international community's current role in the country.
If the negotiations are closed successfully, the Office of the High Representative will be transformed into the Office of the EU Special Representative, the ambassador said, adding that German politician Christian Schwartz-Schilling, who succeeds Paddy Ashdown on January 31, would likely be the last High Representative to Bosnia.