Speaking to the press after talks with Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, Creighton said it was very important that Bosnia carried on with the reforms to which it had committed with the EU.
When Ireland takes over the EU presidency, it will actively participate in everything Bosnia needs to do on the road to the EU, she added.
Creighton said she was aware of the difficulty of the reforms Bosnia must carry out, voicing confidence that with enough political will, the set goals could be achieved.
Lagumdzija said the current plan was to carry out the reforms necessary for applying for membership candidate status by the end of the year.
In that case, the application would be considered and possibly granted in the first half of 2013, when Ireland chairs the EU.
The basic requirement Bosnia must meet to apply is to amend the Constitution and the election law by removing provisions which discriminate against national minorities.