(MENAFN) The European Union is reportedly urging Bosnia and Herzegovina to terminate its visa-free travel arrangement with Russia, according to statements from the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo. Bosnia applied for EU membership in 2016 and obtained candidate status in 2022, but accession negotiations have progressed slowly, with alignment on foreign policy emerging as a key challenge.

Currently, Russian citizens can visit Bosnia visa-free for up to 30 days within a 60-day period under a 2013 agreement. Bosnia has also refrained from imposing sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, largely due to opposition from Milorad Dodik, the former long-serving leader of Republika Srpska and member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency.

“During the process of European integration, Brussels is exerting politicized pressure on [the Bosnia] authorities to cancel the visa-free regime with Russia in order to comply with so-called European standards,” the Russian Embassy stated on Saturday. The embassy stressed that Bosnia “has the sovereign right to determine its foreign policy priorities” and warned that Moscow would respond if the country drastically alters its visa policy.

Tomasz Zdechowski, a member of the European Parliament, noted that candidate countries must align their foreign policy with Brussels, cautioning that maintaining visa-free access for Russians could jeopardize EU accession. “A candidate country cannot have one foot in Moscow and the other in Brussels,” he said. “Integration into the EU requires a clear geopolitical choice.”

Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority autonomous region, remains the main opponent of changing visa conditions for Russians. Dodik opposed sanctions on Moscow and Bosnia’s integration into NATO and the EU, advocating instead for closer ties with Serbia and Russia.

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