The furture of the Balkans is in united Europe, former President of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev (1990 - 1997) said during a conference of the Balkan Political Club in Sarajevo.

The Bosnian capital hosted a two-day forum deliberating the transition of this country from the 1995 US-brokered Dayton peace agreement to its EU aspirations.

Zhelyu Zhelev, founder and president of the Balkan Political Club, asserted the readiness of Bulgaria to assist the countries in the Western Balkans willing to complete their European integration.

In his speech Zhelev stressed on the necessity to strengthen the institutions at the central level and create the fully functioning state of Bosnia and Herzegovina having the clear mandate to carry out the process of the European and Euro atlantic integration.

He said Bosnia would have hardly managed to these days without the aid of the international community, but added the Bosnian people already have the conditions necessary to take on some of their affairs in own hands.

The talks were attended also by Suleyman Demirel, former president of Turkey, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic, former Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, former President of Romania Ion Iliesku, former President of Serbia Zoran Zivkovic, and also the US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Douglas McElhaney.

The Balkan Political Club is non-governmental organization of prominent Balkan politicians and intellectuals from the region. It was established in May 2001 in Sofia and comprises 55 current and former Presidents, PMs, Ministers, MPs and intellectuals from the Balkans.

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