Following the delivery of his report to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, High Representative Valentin Inzko met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. This was also their farewell meeting, and the High Representative thanked the Secretary General for continuous support and commitment to achieving peace and stability in BiH during both his terms in office, including his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012.
The High Representative used this meeting to inform the UN Secretary General of two trends in Bosnia-Herzegovina: ”While Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leadership continues to commit itself towards reform aimed at EU integration, in parallel certain political actors continue with divisive actions and destructive agendas of the past aimed at further division of the country.”
At the meeting with the UN Secretary General, the High Representative fully supported the EU integration of BiH. He expressed hope that the politicians in BiH will focus on the EU accession path and not on destabilizing issues like the RS referendum.
“The referendum held on September 25th was a grave violation of the Peace Agreement. Above all else, this was an attack on the judiciary and the rule of law, which were the prime targets of this act. This goes well beyond the issue of holidays. With this unprecedented step, the authorities of Republika Srpska have revealed that they do not consider themselves bound by the Constitutional Court’s decisions, effectively opting out of the judicial system of the country,” said the High Representative.
While in New York, the High Representative will also meet with permanent representatives of several UN member states. For the remainder of his visit to the United States, the High Representative will visit Washington where he will meet Assistant Secretary and Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, Ambassador David M. Robinson, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Hoyt Brian Yee.