(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, MAR 5 - Visiting German Foreign
Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Bosnia on Tuesday to adopt key
reforms needed as the Balkan nation opens accession talks with
the European Union.
"There are always moments in history when opportunities must
be seized," Baerbock told a press conference in Sarajevo. Her
visit came ahead of the next European Council meeting in
Brussels -- on March 21 and 22 -- which will likely be the last
chance for Bosnia to open EU membership negotiations before
June's European elections. Bosnia "is at a crucial crossroads on
the road" to the EU, she said. "We both have children. One day
they will ask us: 'Why didn't you succeed?' "We want to do
everything we can to ensure that we can take this path to the
European Union," she added addressing her Bosnian counterpart
Elmedin Konakovic. Bosnia has been an official candidate for EU
membership candidate since December 2022 but must implement a
string of major reforms before opening accession negotiations
with the 27-member political bloc. It has adopted a
Brussels-backed anti-money laundering law but tackling more
sensitive judicial reforms is still on its agenda. (ANSA-AFP).
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