Speeches

There has long been a school of thought that derides the idea of peace implementation, of nation building, of democratisation, call it what you will, as the worst sort of international fad, social work and busy bodied do-gooderism – Hackney Council on global scale.
It is they say, a hopeless task, beloved of naive idealists, incapable of ada [...]

I would like to begin by thanking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung for inviting me to this meeting of the ‘Diplomatic Forum’.
We meet today at an opportune time.
Because, it seems to me, this country has reached, as all countries do, one of those decisive moments; a moment at which it is the actions o [...]

Let me begin by conveying the apologies of the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, who is unable to be with us today. On both his and my own behalf, I would like to thank the organizers, the Geneva Institute for Democratic Control of Armed Forces and Sarajevo’s own Centre for Security Studies, for inviting me to speak to you. In particular, I sh [...]

A year ago when the Bulldozer Initiative was launched we wanted to support efforts break up bureaucratic blockages in the system.
We still do.
The object of Bulldozer, as you know, has been to eliminate the pointless bureaucracy that stifles economic growth in this country. Phase I produced 50 reform proposals – 50 obstacles on the [...]

As you know, the genesis of today’s meeting lies in the findings of the Special Auditor’s reports into the public utilities corporations. We and the BiH authorities reached a consensus that the Special Auditor be asked to look into these companies. These were not financial audits, nor is the Special Auditor’s team particularly large. What the audit [...]

Conferences such as this can be tremendously useful, but only if we speak frankly and realistically.
Cross Roads
Lets not kid ourselves serious reforms are difficult and can not be done over night. It is true that haste can make waste, but it is equally true that failure to take bold steps can lead to the loss of the valuable opportun [...]

The first time I met Alija Izetbegovic was in this city in August 1992.
The last was last Friday.
Between those two dates, he led his nation and prevailed in a war in which some sought annihilation.
He became the father of his people - the person who did more than any other to ensure the survival of the modern state of Bosnia [...]

It is my great pleasure to be back in Bucharest. I am particularly honoured to be part of such a distinguished panel.
The topic – promoting foreign direct investment through privatisation -- is a crucial one for all transition countries.
And the question – does privatisation deliver? – is by no means rhetorical.
Indeed, as f [...]

This gathering is particularly important because you are -- or should be -- among the opinion leaders in this country as far as its future economic framework is concerned. You are the experts, and it falls to you to assist in providing an intellectual framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economic development, making that development understanda [...]

It is almost exactly eight years since the Dayton Agreement ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that period the country has moved from intensive peace implementation in the first year (backed by 60,000 NATO-led troops), through a longer phase of political and economic reconstruction, marked by general elections in 1996, 1998 and 2000, and [...]