European Commission to recommend EU membership talks with Bosnia, says EU’s Von der Leyen

The European Commission will recommend to the European Council to start accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU’s Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday during a speech in the European Parliament.

“Today we will decide to recommend to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina,” she said, pointing out the “impressive steps” Bosnia had taken towards the EU.

Bosnia, along with Albania, Serbia, Kosov, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, constitutes a group of six Western Balkan nations currently undergoing various stages of the EU accession process. Despite initial attempts to integrate these countries into the European Union as a means to resolve the region’s conflicts and crises from the 1990s, frustration has mounted due to prolonged delays in progress.

However, the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the increasing influence of Moscow and Beijing have prompted a renewed sense of urgency in the West. This has compelled EU officials to expedite the accession process, recognizing the strategic importance of countering external forces in the region.

via Reuters