Bosnian EU membership talks to start soon

European Union foreign ministers Monday approved talks and negotiations for Bosnia to join the union.

In a statement released after their meeting in Brussels, the minister said the timing of membership will depend on the pace of domestic reforms and full cooperation with the United Nations war crimes tribunal.

The announcement came exactly 10 years after the end of the Bosnian war. Two of the men who led the war, self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and Gen. Ratko Mladic remain at large, and are wanted for war crimes.

The EU has about 6,000 troops stationed in Bosnia, which is still grappling with corruption and organized crime, the report said.

Officials said negotiations on the new agreement could start as early as Friday, which is Bosnia's statehood day, UPI reports.

V.Y.