Bosnia-Herzegovina Submits Application for EU Membership

Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its application for European Union (EU) membership on Monday.

The application comes after months of hard work by the leadership of the Balkan country and only twenty years after the destructive Yugoslav wars.

In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn identified the application as another step towards a united and peaceful continent.

They stated that the application comes at a time when forces across the continent are challenging the very existence of the EU, which highlighted the need for increased unity, future of reconciliation and cooperation beyond ethnic, national and religious divides.

Although the decision to apply for membership belonged to the people and government, the EU noted its considerable investment in strengthening the state's European perspective.

The EU commended Bosnia and Herzegovina for the impressive achievements on the broad reform agenda in the past year.

The European Commission urged the country to continue the hard work, in particular implementing the reforms needed for improving economic growth and social justice, the rule of law and public administration.

The EU's executive body expressed hope that the country will address the shortcomings in its judicial system.

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