Türkiye congratulates Bosnia on gaining EU membership candidate status

ANKARA

Ankara has welcomed and congratulated Bosnia and Herzegovina on being granted the European Union candidate status at the European Council Summit held in Brussels on Dec. 14-15.

“Türkiye takes many steps toward the peace and prosperity of the Balkans, of which we are a part, both at the bilateral and international level, and supports all efforts in this direction. Within this framework, Türkiye has supported the integration of the Balkan countries with the EU and the Euro-Atlantic institutions from the very beginning,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 15.

In this respect, Ankara welcomes the decision of the EU and considers that it will contribute to the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, the statement read.

“Türkiye believes that the conditions specified in the decision will be fulfilled by Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as possible, and we expect the EU to support the process constructively,” it added.

“On this occasion, we emphasize once again the importance of conducting the negotiation processes of EU candidate countries, including Türkiye, in a fair and determined manner, without being politicized by myopic national motives,” the ministry noted.