The International Community’s continued commitment to and focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina is the way to achieve the objective of a safe and stable country that can solve its own problems institutionally and move towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, High Representative Valentin Inzko said today in his address to the UN Security Council.
The High Representative was presenting his sixth biannual report to the Security Council, the 40th report since the OHR was established.
He said BiH politicians continue to show little willingness to compromise and have avoided dialogue on crucial issues. Leaders have also misused the political system and provoked one another in the media. The end result has been to block the Euro-Atlantic integration process and damage the economy.
The High Representative cited instances of dangerous irresponsibility in both Entities and among parties representing all three Constituent Peoples.
“I would like to express my deep concern about recent public statements that challenge the statehood of BiH by characterizing the country as a “state union” [drzavna zajednica], ignoring the fact that BiH was admitted as a member state to the United Nations on 22 May 1992, together with Slovenia and Croatia,” he said, and at the same time he drew attention to inflammatory rhetoric used by certain politicians.
In this context, the High Representative said there has been no movement towards fulfilling the five objectives and two conditions necessary for the closure of the OHR.
He said political leaders must understand “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.”
Speaking about the ongoing need to maintain the executive mandates of EUFOR and the OHR, the High Representative concluded that, “our continued commitment to and focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina is the way to get to the objective that we all want to reach –a Bosnia and Herzegovina that is stable, safe and solving its problems institutionally as it moves towards full Euro-Atlantic integration.”
The full text of the High Representative’s speech can be accessed here. (photo: UN Photo by Devra Berkowitz)