Bosnia and Herzegovina moves toward EU talks as Kaja Kallas urges reforms

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas visited Sarajevo on 1 July 2026 and met with Council of Ministers chair Borjana Krišto. She said Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity are of strategic importance to the EU and stressed that “support for EU accession remains at a near‑all‑time high”. Kallas warned that reforms have stalled since 2024, putting the country at risk of losing funds from the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

She and Krišto agreed that a few more steps are needed before formal accession negotiations can begin, and pledged continued high‑level dialogue with the EU. The meeting also covered regional developments and the role of the international community in supporting Bosnia’s functional and stable governance.

Separately, a delegation of 14 young Bosnians presented Kallas with a “Joint Youth Declaration” drafted by 80 participants. The document calls for stronger EU support and outlines five priority areas: democracy and rule of law, social cohesion and peace‑building, education and future jobs, a fair energy transition, and media‑information literacy. The youth said they will not accept political stagnation, corruption or ethnic division and asked the EU to reward responsible reforms.

Earlier, EU high representative Kaja Kalas (spelled Kalas in some reports) had warned that Bosnia had failed to make progress since 2024 and faced the possible loss of around €1 billion in EU‑funded reforms, highlighting the urgency of accelerating the accession process.