- Title: BOSNIA: Bosnians welcome Croatia's accession to EU
- Date: 1st July 2013
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) SARAJEVO RESIDENT, MILE MAJDOV, SAYING: "It seems that Bosnia is legging behind a lot and doesn't meet the basic conditions, it doesn't respect human rights." (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) SARAJEVO RESIDENT, MEHMEDOVIC MIRSAD, SAYING: "I'm glad for Croatia, and our state should join the EU, the sooner the better and I hope we won't have to wait too long." WOMAN READING NEWSPAPERS (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) SARAJEVO RESIDENT, MILADINOVIC SNJEZANA, SAYING: "We would like Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the European Union as well and to move forward, but we seem to be stuck in place and we are loosing hope." PEOPLE IN STREET RIVER THROUGH TOWN
- Embargoed: 16th July 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- City:
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Topics: International Relations,European Union,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABIJI4504622BIMN7UBWRALFAE
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Residents of Sarajevo welcome Croatia's accession to EU and wish that Bosnia follows its path.
Residents of Sarajevo on Monday (July 1) welcomed Croatia's accession to the European Union but expressed little hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be ready to follow their neighbour any time soon.
Eighteen years since the end of Bosnia's war, the Balkan state continues to wrestle with deep ethnic rivalry that has left it languishing behind its fellow former Yugoslav republics on the long road to EU accession.
"It seems that Bosnia is legging behind a lot and doesn't meet the basic conditions, it doesn't respect human rights," said Mile Majdov, a resident of Sarajevo.
"I'm glad for Croatia, and our state should join the EU, the sooner the better and I hope we won't have to wait too long," said Mehmedovic Mirsad, who spent many years living and working in Germany.
The country's political leaders seem to be unable to agree on key constitutional reforms needed and even risk to have planned elections next year cancelled.
Bosnia's lawmakers have to remove a restriction on ethnic minorities running for office before it can even apply for EU membership.
"We would like that Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the European Union as well and to move forward, but we seem to be stuck in place and we are loosing hope" said Snezana Miladinovic from Sarajevo. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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