Erjavec said he hoped Bosnia would be able to speed up progress to membership of the EU, reiterating that it was Slovenia's wish that the whole region joined Euroatlantic organisations as soon as possible.

After talks with Lagumdžija, who is on a one-day visit, Erjavec said Slovenia would support Sarajevo's request for EU membership if Bosnia implements the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdić-Finci case.

In the case, the court sided with complaints filed by Jakob Finci, a member of the Jewish community in Bosnia, and Dervo Sejdić, a member of the Roma community, against Bosnia because they are prohibited from running for parliament.

The Bosnian constitution envisages that members of parliament come from only the three constitutive nations of Bosnia-Herzegovina - Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks - but the court said in 2009 that the Constitution would have to be amended to guarantee the rights of all Bosnian citizens.

Lagumdžija said that Sarajevo was seeking more active support and guidance from the European Commission and EU member states in its efforts to join the EU. He said help in implementing the ruling in question would also be welcome.

Moreover, Lagumdžija also called on Slovenia to provide for the protection of the sizeable Bosnian community in Slovenia in line with European standards.

The foreign minister said Bosnia wanted Slovenia to provide the community the basis for developing their identity and teaching their mouther tongue as an elective subject in school.

The European Commission was fairly critical of Bosnia's progress in EU membership efforts in a report published last week, assessing that the country needs to invest extensive efforts in dealing with burning issues before it can request membership.

Erjavec and Lagumdžija also discussed economic cooperation, agreeing that the countries could enter into joint ventures on third markets.

The pair also agreed that cooperation could be promoted with a mixed government commission for economic cooperation, which is scheduled to meet early next year.

Trade between the countries stands at EUR 1bn, while Lagumdžija noted that Slovenian investments in Bosnia had helped create around 15,000 jobs.

Lagumdžija moreover met PM Alenka Bratušek, who described Bosnia as one of the more interesting markets for Slovenian companies, while also proposing joint ventures on third markets.

The meeting with Preident Borut Pahor focused on the situation of Bosniaks living in Slovenia, with Pahor pledging to help protect their rights, while talks with Parliament Speaker Janko Veber underlined the friendly relations and efforts to deepen economic cooperation.