Brussels, Oct 12 (AP) Bosnia-Herzegovina moved a small step closer to the European Union on Wednesday with the EU's executive advising member states to grant it candidate member status despite continuing criticism of the way the Balkan nation is run.

The advice had been hotly anticipated in ethnically-divided Bosnia, which is lagging several other Balkan nations in being granted candidate status to become member of the prosperous European club of 27 nations.

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EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi told a European Parliament committee during the presentation of the annual enlargement report that the executive “recommends that candidate status be granted” by the member states, pending a slew of commitments for fundamental reform. (AP)

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