High Representative and the EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko met today in Sarajevo with Croatian President Stjepan Mesić. The HR/EUSR briefed President Mesić on conclusions of the Peace Implementation Council’s session, which ended earlier in the day.
The HR/EUSR informed President Mesic of the PIC Steering Board’s serious concern over the lack of progress achieved by the BiH authorities in fulfilling the five goals and two conditions required for OHR closure. For this reason, the Steering Board could not make the decision on OHR transition to EUSR. The Steering Board welcomed recent significant progress made by BiH authorities to fulfil the requirements for visa liberalisation, and encouraged the authorities to make further efforts to achieve this goal. The Steering Board also underlined the importance of the BiH authorities continuing to implement the European Partnership and the Interim Agreement and it urged them to address the shortcomings identified in the European Commission Progress Report.
The Peace Implementation Council emphasized that the goal of the international community is a stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina that can move forward on the road of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina’s politicians must understand that progress is based on dialogue and compromise, whereas political and verbal narrow-mindedness will simply solidify the existing very bad situation and will deliver nothing positive for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Domestic dialogue and mutual cooperation in the EU accession path are things that all the countries in the region must prioritize,” HR/PDHR Inzko said.
President Mesić reiterated the Republic of Croatia’s full support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity and its road towards NATO and the EU.