Acting High Representative Raffi Gregorian met today in Sarajevo with General John McColl, NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the European Union’s Operation Commander for Operation ALTHEA.
Gregorian informed General McColl about the general political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina where the BiH authorities are in meeting the objectives and conditions set by the Peace Implementation Council for OHR transition. He stressed that BiH political leaders need to invest more efforts to resolve the issue of state property, and pass a constitutional amendment on Brcko, but also noted the challenge of nationalist rhetoric and threats to a positive assessment on condition two.
Gregorian and McColl welcomed the commitment made by EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels yesterday that any decision on the future evolution of operation ALTHEA would need to take political developments into account. “A positive political atmosphere, which is not burdened by continuous nationalist rhetoric, is a prerequisite for long-term stability”, the Acting High Representative said