Türkiye sent its congratulations to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday after it obtained formal candidate status to join the European Union.

"We welcome the aforementioned decision of the EU and consider that it will make a contribution to the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

EU leaders approved the decision at a summit in Brussels following a recommendation by the European Commission in October and voting in the European Council and General Affairs Council this week.

"We believe that the conditions specified in the decision will be fulfilled by Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as possible, and we expect the EU to constructively support the process," it added.

Stressing Türkiye's role in the peace and prosperity of the Balkans and its support of all efforts in this direction, it said: "Within this framework, Türkiye has supported the integration of the Balkan countries with the EU and the Euro-Atlantic institutions from the very beginning."

Bosnia-Herzegovina's top priorities are joining the political and economic community of European states and to join NATO.

It officially applied for EU membership in 2016. It will be joining other EU candidates – Albania, Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine – in the process of joining the EU, which can take many years and involves complex negotiations on adjusting local laws to match those of the bloc.

The war in Ukraine has served as an accelerator for the bloc’s enlargement process.

The EU last admitted a new member – Croatia, which is also part of the Balkans – in 2013. Before that, Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007. With the withdrawal of the United Kingdom in 2021, the EU now has 27 member nations.