EU invites Bosnia to membership talks 

European Union leaders have agreed to open membership talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina as the bloc seeks to pull a divided Western Balkan country closer into its orbit to counter Russian influence

EU members by joining date 
1957-1995 2004-13 

Candidate countries
Official candidate status Year granted
Potential candidate

UK EU member 1973-2020
Moldova 2022 
Ukraine 2022
Serbia 2012
Georgia
Kosovo
Albania 2014
Türkiye 1999
Montenegro 2010
North Macedonia 2005 
RUSSIA

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
EU candidate 2022
Population  3.2 million
GDP $24.5 billion 

Comprises two entities linked by weak central government

Republika Srpska
Largely Serb-populated

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mainly Croat-Bosniak

Serb leader Milorad Dodik (above right), who counts
MONTENEGRO Putin as ally, has long threatened to secede  from rest of country

Brčko District * 
Banja 
Luka
Tuzla
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Zenica
SERBIA
CROATIA
Sarajevo
Mostar
Adriatic Sea
40km  25 miles


*Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats

Sources: European Commission, Bloomberg, World Bank
© GRAPHIC NEWS