Accession to EU is ‘priority for Bosnia Herzegovina’: Lawmaker

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - European Union membership is the “priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the President of the Council of Ministers said Tuesday.

Borjana Kristo's remarks came at the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs in Brussels.

It is top on the agenda “because we are aware of how important it is for the future of our country,'' said Kristo.

He said Bosnian officials know their responsibilities to gain access to the bloc.

"We will focus on the implementation of 14 key priorities determined by the EU. We want to accelerate the development of our country within the EU membership process,'' he said.

The European Council granted Bosnia-Herzegovina candidate status Dec 15 for EU membership.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's top priorities are joining the political and economic community of European states, along with joining NATO.

The Balkan country became a potential candidate for the bloc during the European Council summit in Thessaloniki in 2003.

It officially applied for EU membership in 2016.

Candidacy status is the first step in a long-term EU accession process.

After a country is granted candidate status, accession negotiations begin in stages, provided that conditions are met.

Accession negotiations can take years to begin.