When granting candidate status to Ukraine, the European Union must not forget enlargement to the Western Balkans, notably Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said in Luxembourg on Monday, announcing that Slovenia would present a plan to grant Bosnia candidate status.

“We must do everything to make the enlargement policy credible, which means that we must not forget enlargement to the Western Balkans,” Fajon said in a statement to Slovenian media after arriving at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“Given that the enlargement process itself could become questionable, we support all EU efforts to launch negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, abolish visas for Kosovo and grant Bosnia candidate status,” said Fajon.

At today’s meeting, Slovenia will present an initiative on how to help a country like Bosnia by granting it candidate status, she said.

Last week Slovenian President Borut Pahor sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel saying that if Bosnia was given candidate status, it would encourage pro-European forces in the country.

According to the Slovenian proposal, as carried by Slovenian media, Bosnia and Herzegovina would be given candidate status at the EU summit to be held in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

During a visit to Brussels last week, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said he would propose that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted candidate status and that the accession talks should begin once Bosnia adopted laws contained in a political agreement reached by Bosnian political parties at a meeting in Brussels a week ago, the Slovenian STA news agency has reported.

The laws in question are the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council Act, the Courts Act, the Conflict of Interest Act and the Public Procurement Act.

Adopting these laws would enable the opening of the negotiating chapter 23, which covers justice and fundamental rights, and chapter 24, which concerns justice, freedom and security.

Other chapters would be opened once Bosnia meets the criteria of the Brussels agreement related to elections and other relevant areas, STA reported.