Bosnia-Herzegovina has formally applied to join the European Union.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on February 15 that Sarajevo has filed an application, but Brussels has determined that the Balkans country has not met all necessary conditions to apply.
Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the European Union was encouraged to see "Bosnia back on the reform path."
Bosnian Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic announced on February 10 that his country was about to file the application and that he believed Bosnia had met the preconditions for application.
Zvizdic added that he hoped the 28-member bloc would grant Bosnia candidate status during 2017.
The government of Bosnia's Republica Srpska -- one of the two constituents of Bosnia's federal system -- immediately responded that it had not been consulted before the national government installed a coordination mechanism for ensuring Bosnian laws and policies conform to those of the EU.