High Representative Lord Paddy Ashdown today met 17 young people from all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are a part of the “Youth Voices” – a representative youth consultative group which is working closely with the World Bank country office in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ashdown strongly welcomed the World Bank initiative to closely cooperate with youth from BH. He also encouraged young people of this country to get much more involved in the political process, to vote and ultimately hold governments democratically accountable. Such involvement of young people is a key prerequisite for proper functioning of any democratic country, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such involvement is also necessary for BH to get into the EU as soon as possible. Ashdown stressed that the ultimate responsibility for reforms in BH lies with citizens and their leaders, while the international community can only serve in a supporting capacity.