Bosnia expects EU candidate country status

By Lejla Biogradlija

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Milorad Dodik, current chairman and Serb member of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said he hopes to obtain candidate country status from the European Union in the near future.

Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday submitted additional answers in the EU question booklet, a pre-condition for the status of "candidate country".

Dodik met EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Dodik said Bosnia and Herzegovina, where different ethnic groups live together, is inching closer to EU membership.

"There are some questions that have no answer, but this is also an answer," said Dodik, referring to some questions they left blank.

"We have friends in both Brussels and Moscow. I represent people and a country that should have good relations with everyone, both globally and regionally," said Dodik.

He added that Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of the country, had no plans to seek secession.

Hahn said the EU will prepare a report on the country, and in return Sarajevo should continue to implement major reforms toward EU integration.

He also announced that he will visit the country at the end of this month.

Bosnia and Herzegovina officially applied for EU membership in February 2016. The application was adopted in September 2016 and the EU questionnaire was handed over to Bosnian officials in December 2016.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, which did not answer 23 questions, is expecting to receive "candidate country" status.