EU Commission chief promises Bosnia flood aid, support for reform on membership path

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised support for Bosnia arsenic nan troubled Balkan state struggles pinch betterment needed to beforehand toward rank successful nan European Union

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen connected Friday promised support for Bosnia arsenic nan troubled Balkan state struggles pinch betterment needed to beforehand toward rank successful nan European Union.

Von der Leyen was successful Bosnia arsenic portion of a travel this week to aspiring EU personnel states successful nan Western Balkans to guarantee them that EU enlargement remains a privilege for nan 27-nation bloc. From Bosnia, von der Leyen went connected to neighboring Serbia.

The Western Balkans countries — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are astatine different stages successful their applications for EU membership. The countries person been disappointment by nan slow gait of nan process, but Russia’s penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022 has propelled European leaders to push nan six to subordinate nan bloc.

Bosnia gained campaigner position successful 2022 while EU leaders successful March agreed successful rule to open rank negotiations, though Bosnia must still do a batch of work.

“We stock nan aforesaid imagination for nan future, a early wherever Bosnia-Herzegovina is simply a full-fledged personnel of nan European Union,” said von der Leyen astatine a associated property convention pinch Bosnian Prime Minister Bojana Kristo. “So, I would say, let’s proceed moving connected that. We’ve gone a agelong measurement already, we still person a measurement up of america but I americium assured that you’ll make it.”

Last twelvemonth EU officials offered a 6-billion-euro (about $6.5 billion) maturation scheme to nan Western Balkan countries successful an effort to double nan region’s system complete nan adjacent decade and accelerate their efforts to subordinate nan bloc. That assistance is contingent connected reforms that would bring their economies successful statement pinch EU rules.

The Commission connected Wednesday approved nan betterment agendas of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia pursuing a greenish ray from EU personnel states. That was a cardinal measurement to let payments nether nan maturation scheme upon completion of agreed betterment steps.

“The accession process is, arsenic you know, merit-based … we do not look astatine a rigid information but we look astatine nan merits, nan advancement that a state is making,” said von der Leyen. "The important point is that we person an eager betterment agenda, for illustration nan different 5 Western Balkan countries besides have. We guidelines fresh to thief you to move forward.”

Long aft a 1992-95 taste warfare that killed much than 100,000 group and near millions homeless, Bosnia remains ethnically divided and politically deadlocked. An taste Serb entity — 1 of Bosnia's 2 adjacent parts joined by a communal authorities — has sought to summation arsenic overmuch independency arsenic possible.

Upon presence successful Bosnia, von der Leyen connected Thursday first went to Donja Jablanica, a colony successful cardinal Bosnia that was devastated successful caller floods and landslides. The disaster successful early October claimed 27 lives and nan mini colony was virtually buried successful rocks from a quarry located connected a elevation above.

Von der Leyen said nan EU is sending an contiguous assistance package of 20 cardinal euros ($21 million) and will besides supply support for reconstruction later on.