A “new and substantive commitment” from the International Community will support moderation and consensus-building in Bosnia and Herzegovina, High Representative Valentin Inzko said yesterday in an address to Canadian foreign-policy experts.
The High Representative was speaking at the University of Ottawa on the second day of an official visit to Canada.
On Monday the High Representative held talks with Foreign Minister John Baird and senior policymakers dealing with the Western Balkans.
He said that through the “demanding mission” of building consensus the International Community “must keep encouraging dialogue no matter how irreconcilable the starting positions of the parties may be.”
Stressing a basic political fact that BiH leaders on all sides often seem to forget, the High Representative made it clear that “the Entities and State will only be strong when both levels of government are strong – both will go from strength to strength only when they work together and the State is given the support it needs to be effective.”