EU moves ahead with Bosnia pre-accession pact

The European Union gave the green light on Monday to a long-awaited pact with Bosnia, a first step toward possible membership of the bloc after years of political and economic stagnation. The move is part of a new drive, led by Germany and Britain, to spur reform and address the anger and frustrations among ordinary Bosnians that fueled unprecedented civil unrest in February last year. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is a pre-accession pact that brings much-needed EU funds and