Vatican welcomes Bosnia's candidacy for EU membership

BELGRADE, Serbia

The Vatican on Monday welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina gaining candidacy status for European Union membership.

A statement said that Vatican welcomed with satisfaction the European Union decision late last year to grant membership candidacy status to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The remarks came after Borjana Kristo, the head of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers, met with Pope Francis.

During Kristo's meeting in the Vatican, the need to promote the legal and social equality of citizens belonging to each of the country’s founding communities was also discussed.

The situation of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and some open issues in relations between the church and state were discussed, added the statement.

Kristo also met with the Vatican secretary of state (prime minister), Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, its secretary for relations with states and international organizations (foreign minister).

The European Council granted Bosnia-Herzegovina candidacy status last Dec. 15.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's top priorities are joining the political and economic community of European states, along with joining NATO.

The Balkan country became a potential candidate for the bloc in 2003, and officially applied for EU membership in 2016.

Candidacy status is the first step in a long-term EU accession process.

After a country is granted candidate status, accession negotiations begin in stages, provided that conditions are met.

Accession negotiations can take years to begin.