EU Council may start accession negotiations with Bosnia in 2024: Commissioner

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The EU commissioner for enlargement said on Tuesday that accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina may start in March 2024.

“Should the Council follow our recommendation, the next time we are coming with an update on the developments, let's say in March next year, the Council can adopt the decision to start the actual negotiations with the country,” Oliver Varhelyi said in a joint press conference with Borjana Kristo, the chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia.

Varhelyi said that they are clear in the assessment this year in the enlargement report that “we need further delivery for Bosnia and Herzegovina on the key aspects and key reforms.”

“However, we also see that with this commitment and with this level of delivery we are ready to propose and recommend to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina,” she added.

Kristo, for her part, said: “We expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive a final date by the end of the year for the start of membership negotiations with the EU.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina gained EU candidate country status on Dec. 15, 2022.