An active and assertive civil society has the capacity to set new standards in public life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the High Representative said in a speech at the International Centre for Defence Studies in Tallinn. “This is not simply a matter of introducing and following new rules. This represents a whole new way of looking at society.”
Arguing that countries across the region must reconnect with the basic premise that government is responsible to the people and not the other way around, the High Representative underlined the importance of transparency in government and administration, as well as the indispensable role of free speech, free media, independent courts and a free market in a functioning democracy.
Speaking of the current government crisis, the High Representative stressed that the “political melodrama should not be allowed to obscure the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made – and continues to make – real progress.” He reiterated his belief that 2012 can see major progress in the Euro-Atlantic integration processes if parties can find the political will to overcome their differences.
During his visit to the Baltic countries, the High Representative met with Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and briefed them on the overall situation in BiH, his recent report to the UN Security Council, and the outcome of the recent meeting of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board Political Directors. These were informational meetings with representatives of the three Baltic countries, which do not have resident embassies in Sarajevo, and all of which are important members of both the EU and NATO.
The full text of the High Representative’s speech can be accessed here.