Global Courant 2023-05-18 02:36:03
Belgrade Serbia
The European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement said on Wednesday that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve to be part of the European Union.
Oliver Varhelyi’s remarks came at a high-level political forum in the capital, Sarajevo.
The forum, hosted by the Council of Ministers, was attended by high-ranking officials from Bosnia, including representatives of both sides of Bosnia — the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.
”We (EU) think that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve to be in the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to become a member of the European Union,” Varhelyi said.
In December last year, the European Council granted Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status for EU membership.
According to Varhelyi, the status helped Bosnia form a government and set a budget in record time.
He said that Bosnia and Herzegovina must fulfill the 14 priorities set by the EU.
We need Bosnia and Herzegovina to be and continue to be our ally. At a time when Russia is waging war against Ukraine, Europe needs all its allies.”
President of the Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo said that her country is ready for the EU membership process.
“We received a clear message from the EU that Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the Union. All representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina are ready for the EU membership process. I am very happy with the transfer,” Kristo said.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s top priorities are joining NATO, as well as joining the political and economic community of European states.
The Balkan country was a potential candidate for the bloc at the European Council summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2003.
In 2016, it officially applied for EU membership.
Candidate status is the first step in a country’s long-term EU accession process.
After a country gains candidate status, accession negotiations begin gradually, provided the conditions are met.
It may take years for accession negotiations to begin.
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