Speeches by the Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, by primary school pupil Afan Huseinspahić and by EU in BiH Youth Advisory[...]

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Speeches by the Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, by primary school pupil Afan Huseinspahić and by EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board member Ivana Vučetić at the Europe Day 2026 reception

07.05.2026 Press and information team of the Delegation to BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA

© EUBIH

Speech by the Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Luigi Soreca

Poštovani gosti, dragi prijatelji,

A warm welcome to you all as we celebrate Europe Day.

Every year in May, we celebrate an idea that is both simple and highly ambitious - that countries, even after the most difficult chapters of their history, can choose cooperation over conflict and build something stronger together.

This idea took form in the Schuman Declaration. On 9 May 1950, the Foreign Minister of France, Robert Schuman, announced a plan to accomplish sustainable peace and prosperity across our continent.

Today, the international rules-based system built after the Second World War is under pressure like never before.

Europe Day remains a call to action - a call to build a fairer, safer, more sustainable Europe. A call to protect our shared principles. A call to complete the European Union through enlargement, including here in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This year, we also celebrate 30 years of the EU's presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1996, the European Commission opened its Representation Office in Sarajevo to coordinate the provision of essential aid. Since that time, the EU has been a loyal partner, standing consistently in solidarity with the citizens of this country.

We see it in the support that arrived when devastating floods hit in 2014 and again in 2024. We see it in lifesaving equipment delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. We see it in the assistance to help vulnerable households cope with rising energy prices after Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

But we also see it beyond moments of crisis.

As we develop our partnership on the country's EU path, we are investing in socio-economic reforms that prepare Bosnia and Herzegovina for EU membership. In the process, new jobs are being created and local communities are unlocking their potential.

The EU is not something far away. Already now, 73% of trade and roughly 60% of foreign direct investment are with and from the EU. This shows the importance of the EU, but also the importance of each and every member state for this country.

I want to thank our Team Europe in this country for their steadfast and constructive support. Together we are stronger and we can deliver better results for the citizens of the EU and BiH.

We invest, and we support institutions, citizens and businesses of this country. Our joint work makes the everyday life easier and the future a little more predictable.

The EU and its member states have been since 1996 the largest providers of support. Nonetheless no single actor can tackle the challenges of today's world alone. In addition to the EU, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot of good friends. Many of these are here in this room with us today.

However, what makes the EU's offer unique is much more than investments and funds. It is a sustained and long-term effort to achieve a better future for all in Europe, through EU membership.

As we have seen in all countries that are now members of the EU, the EU accession process brings prosperity, a better quality of life, an improved business environment, stronger democratic institutions and rule of law.

We cannot however want EU membership for Bosnia and Herzegovina more than the authorities of this country.

It is well understood that Bosnia and Herzegovina's decision-making framework often means that decisions can take time. It is also understood that the trust, dialogue and political will that is necessary for the system to function has been weak for a long time.

Nonetheless, leadership is about showing vision, courage and determination.

I urge the BiH authorities to do what is best for this country and its citizens and to use the opportunities that the EU has made available.

Because while we understand Bosnia and Herzegovina's specificities, it is also important to underline that the EU has its own political processes, procedures, and deadlines.

If the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not take urgent action to implement the Reform Agenda of the Growth Plan, there is a growing risk that this country will lose EUR 373 million.

Moreover, if the Law on Courts and Law on HJPC are not adopted in line with European standards, nor a Chief Negotiator appointed, it will not be possible to formally launch the accession negotiations that we have been waiting for so long to start.

I must be clear: inaction has its consequences. Opportunities that are lost do not come back.

Every euro lost from the Reform Agena is a euro less spent for the benefit of this country.

Every delay in strengthening the rule of law makes citizens less safe and businesses less competitive.

Every postponement of the transition to cleaner, cheaper energy means more smog-filled winters and higher energy bills.

This country is underperforming. We want it to fully realise its potential.

As EU Ambassador, I have the good fortune to meet people from many different walks of life. Entrepreneurs who know that greater access to the European Single Market is essential for their businesses and look forward for BiH to be part of SEPA. Students planning to study in Europe through the Erasmus+ programme. Researchers benefitting from Horizon Europe. Artists receiving support through the Creative Europe programme.

And I know that a majority of BiH citizens, in both entities and Brcko District continue to support EU membership.

What is missing at the moment is action from elected representatives.

I have now been here for almost two years, and there are many things about Bosnia and Herzegovina that I have come to love. I recognise a lot that this country has in common with my hometown, Naples - warm spirited people, a love of good food, art and culture, and an ability to 'punch above our weight' internationally in areas as diverse as sport or music.

The citizens Bosnia and Herzegovina, like Neapolitans, have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to defy expectations. In particular, when nobody expects anymore that expectations will be fulfilled. We saw this when the country qualified for this summer's World Cup, painful as this is for me as an Italian to admit. But seeing the happiness of BiH friends and colleagues and what qualifying means for them more than makes up for it! And I will be proudly supporting BiH this summer!

It is time now for the political class to use the same determination shown by the football team to make progress on the EU path.

Young people will be the greatest beneficiaries of EU membership. It is for this reason that so many of our Europe Day activities are targeted at young people.

I am glad we are joined by two exceptional young people this evening. Afan Huseinspahić is only fifteen years old and wrote to me a beautiful letter soon after I arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I was very glad to meet him when I travelled to Zenica and discuss his hopes for the future.

Ivana Vučetić is a member of our the Youth Advisory Board that was launched earlier this year to strengthen the role of young people in our decision making. Over this weekend, Ivana together with members of the Youth Advisory Board and young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina will take part in a Youth Summit as part of our Europe Day celebrations.

I am glad, and indeed proud, that we are able to provide platforms to hear the voices of young people. Before I hand over to Afan and Ivana, let me once again thank everyone for being here, and for celebrating the vision of a more united, peaceful Europe with us.

Viva Bosnia and Herzegovina, viva the European Union!

Happy Europe Day to you all!

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Speech by 9^th grade pupil at the Primary School "Musa Ćazim Ćatić" in Zenica Afan Huseinspahić

Ladies and Gentlemen!

As introduced by Ambassador Soreca, my name is Afan Huseinspahić, and I am humbled to represent the interests of youth in my country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as much as I am grateful for the opportunity to share my views.

I come from a country of an ever-complicated past, of complex nature equal to is breathtaking beauty. Its culture dates back to prehistoric times, and above all, I come from a country abundant in the spirit of its extraordinary people - the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina - who show their kindness, patriotism and ability across countless fields and at every age, especially among the youngest generations, of whom I am today a representative.

We are the youngest generation of a country with many aspirations - one of the greatest clearly being the membership in the European Union, a goal towards which our country is making tremendous efforts.

We are a generation in need of support in education, progress, professional development, cultural advancement, and in discovering new worlds, cultures and traditions. Yet despite having so few opportunities, we are those who continue to strive, changing the world through our achievements and successes across the board.

We are the ones whose presence makes every country richer and even more multicultural than before. At the same time, we too must continue making our own country stronger, richer and more progressive.

To this end, we need your support - the support of the European Union - whose values and principles we have long admired, whose care for the environment, flora and fauna we deeply appreciate, and whose multiculturalism we hope our own country will one day fully embrace.

For us, the European Union is a gateway to the future, though the road before us is a very difficult one.

Thus, look at our effort, our work, our determination, our ambition and our achievements, and our bright, hopeful eyes alone will show you why this journey should be made shorter and easier for us. Because if you allow us too, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to pass through those doors and enter the embrace of all the Member States of the European Union, our hardworking, honourable and creative spirit will one day repay your support many times over.

So, allow us too to become a member of the European Union.

Let us be united in diversity!

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Speech by member of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board Ivana Vučetić

Respected excellencies, ambassadors, representatives, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a privilege to address you here in Sarajevo, during the celebration of Europe Day. I am grateful for the opportunity and privilege to stand before you as a representative of young people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as a member of the first generation of the EU in BiH Youth Advisory Board.

Tonight, we are gathered in the cultural crossroads of Europe, a melting pot of history, culture and traditions to commemorate 81 years since the liberation of Europe from fascism and reflect on the birth of the project to unite Europe. And we are reminded that both were built not only by institutions and leaders, but by generations of young people who believed in a brighter future.

Young people have always been the backbone of change, through contributions to building peace, innovations or social cohesion. For the Bosnian and Herzegovinian youth, this role carries particular weight. We are a generation that has grown up in the aftermath of conflict and a generation that must strive to define our lives with peace and prosperity.

Today, young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are driven, capable, and deeply connected to the values that the European Union represents, such as cooperation, solidarity, and respect for diversity. We are not standing at the door of Europe, we are already part of its social, cultural, and intellectual fabric and tradition. Now we asked to be seen, recognized, included, and empowered.

Our role is not only to participate, but to contribute meaningfully. Not only to listen, but to speak and present both what we can offer, and what we need. And what we need is trust: from institutions, as well as from our peers and partners across the EU.

Through platforms such as the Youth Advisory Board, we have space to do exactly that: to bring forward the perspectives of our generation, bridge the gap between the EU and youth in BiH, and help ensure that policies reflect real experiences, expectations and needs of young people.

The European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina goes beyond politics. It is about generations to come. And with the right support, inspiration, and trust, young people in this country could achieve a lot.

As citizens of Europe and hopefully future citizens of the European Union, we see not only opportunities for mobility, education, and employment, but also the opportunity to actively shape the kind of Europe we want to be a part of.

Finally, young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are ready: to contribute, to engage, and to help build our shared European future. We are ready to be a part of the work ahead.

What we ask in return is simple: space, trust, and opportunity.

Thank you.