The EU Foreign Affairs Council agreed a renewed approach to Bosnia and tasked Commissioner Johannes Hahn to secure Bosnia’s leadership written commitment to EU-required reforms, vowing to put into effect the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, it said in a statement.

“The Foreign Affairs Council agreed a renewed approach to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), without changing the EU accession conditions, including the implementation of the Sejdic-Finci ruling on the constitution,” the statement said.

“It invited the High Representative and Commissioner Hahn to engage with the BiH leadership to secure its irrevocable written commitment to undertake reforms for EU accession.

“Once this commitment has been agreed by the BiH presidency, signed by the BiH political leaders and endorsed by the BiH parliament, the Council will decide on the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement,” the statement added.

“Yes, there can be a new start for the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are ready to engage. We are ready to reciprocate in the moment when this commitment will be adopted by the parliament,” the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini said.

“This could be a turning point in the way of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the European Union,” she added.

The Council also focussed on the situation in Syria, Iraq and the threat from ISIL.

“Ministers also exchanged views on the crisis in Syria with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

The EU is fully committed to support his efforts to achieve a strategic de-escalation of violence as a basis for a broader political process.

The EU stands ready to concretely support the development of his proposal to build on local freezes of hostilities in Aleppo and elsewhere.

“All the EU member states and the European Union as such are, in one way or another, involved in the fight against Da’esh. All of us are very much working on the support of the Iraqi government,” Mogherini said, adding that she would travel to Bagdad and Erbil next week.

Council conclusions on Syria and Bosnia and Herzegovina

A comprehensive press release will become available here.