“The political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is deteriorating as a result of deliberate actions by political leaders, who are using chauvinism to secure short-term political points ahead of parliamentary elections next year”, Acting High Representative Raffi Gregorian told Austrian President Dr Heinz Fischer and Defence Minister Norbert Darabos during a meeting in Sarajevo today.
The problems that Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing, such as parliamentary gridlock and government ineptitude, have clear political roots and are not merely the result of the country’s complex administrative structure. Instead of tackling the consequences of the economic crisis and working on resolving the real-life concerns of citizens, political parties are engaged in public disputes over issues that they know will only exacerbate their disagreements. As a result, a number of laws that were required for Euro-Atlantic integration and for the closure of OHR have been delayed, Gregorian noted.
Gregorian also took the opportunity to thank President Fischer and Defence Minister Darabos for Austria’s continued political, economic and military engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria today announced that it will increase its EUFOR contingent by 80 soldiers. In this context, Gregorian commended the valuable contribution of Austria in the success of operation ALTHEA, and especially the Austrian contingent serving in Brcko District. “A continued EUFOR deployment – with an executive mandate – is still important as this is a guarantee to citizens that the international community is committed to the country’s stability”, he said.