SARAJEVO, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday in Sarajevo that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress on its path toward European Union membership and now "stands at the doorstep of the European Union (EU)."
Speaking after talks with Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo, von der Leyen hailed the country's Reform Agenda as a result of broad institutional cooperation, calling for continued efforts under the EU Growth Plan, which could bring up to one billion euros in investment.
She said the next step is to finalize and ratify agreements to access EU funds and to prepare for the first intergovernmental conference by adopting key judicial reforms and appointing a chief negotiator.
Von der Leyen noted that 72 percent of Bosnia and Herzegovina's citizens trust the EU and two-thirds of young people support enlargement, calling this "the strongest message" for a united Europe. ■