Bosnia and Herzegovina

Western Balkan countries have to overcome more obstacles, while European Union member-states have understood that they should support the integration process.

This is according to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who spoke on Monday in Brussels after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

This is the view of all EU members, he said.

Sweden currently presides the EU.

Although Western Balkans was not originally on the agenda of the meeting, it turned out to be one of the main topics, reports Tanjug news agency.

Bosnia-Herzegovina is the most corrupt country in the region, according to the results of a study performed over the last two months.

The Friedrich-Ebert Foundation carried out the “Corruption in Bosnia-Herzegovina” survey along with Transparency International.

The high level of corruption is seen both in the Republic of Srpska and the Federation.

Srđan Blagovčanin, the author of the study, said that Bosnia was, according to most studies, viewed as the most corrupt country in South-East Europe and one of the most corrupt countries in all of Europe.

The European Commission has adopted the financial assistance plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina for the time frame 2009 and 2011, Radio Television of Republika Srpska /RTRS/ reported.
The plan envisages that the country will be granted assistance of EUR 303 million in total. The aim of the project is to assist political reform and democratic institutions and help Bosnia and Herzegovina get ready for the duties of the EU membership, which includes legislation harmonization and introduction of EU standards in internal trade, sector policy, judicial system and security.