As my first week in your fascinating country comes to a close, I wanted to share with you my initial thoughts and ideas for how I hope to work with you. On Friday, I was officially credentialed as the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Chairman of the Presidency, Mr. Ivanic. I look forward to working with him, President Izetbegovic, President Covic, and Foreign Minister Lagumdzia as well.
My focus will be on working with all of you, and with our international partners, to make this country a fully-functioning democracy accountable to its citizens. I stopped in Brussels last Monday and had meetings with key players at the European Union and NATO, who re-affirmed their commitment to working with you to bring Bosnia-Herzegovina into those institutions. You know that the U.S. is dedicated to helping BiH become an open and flourishing democracy, and I want to work with my Embassy team to find new ways to help this country move from mere stability to prosperity. Because we believe the key for BiH to accomplish that lies in stronger ties with the West, and polls show that most of you do too, I will not be shy in urging political leaders to honor promises they make to Euro-Atlantic institutions, but even more importantly, promises they made to their own citizens during the elections.
Needless to say, active civic engagement is an essential part of such efforts. As soon as I get settled, I want to travel around the country to hear from you — hear your concerns, your hopes, and most importantly, identify innovative ways that we can help you insure a promising future for BiH. To progress down the path from merely surviving to actually thriving, the business and investment environment has to improve so people can get good jobs. For that to happen, individuals and institutions in BiH have to address the issue of corruption seriously, including a political culture that condones it and a legal system that looks the other way. The Embassy has new programs to target corruption, and it will be the subject of conversations I have with everyone from key leaders to shopkeepers. BiH needs to make it not only possible, but rewarding, for everyone – be it major companies or small start-ups – to open new businesses here.
Another discussion I want to have with the widest possible audience is about how Bosnia and Herzegovina can further embrace tolerance and the rich diversity that is the very foundation of this country. To that end, I strongly believe that children should all go to school together and study a common curriculum, so they learn about each other while mastering the skills they all need to make viable contributions to the future of their country. Furthermore, I want to take part in the discussion of how to go beyond merely breaking down traditional national and ethnic divides, to including minorities and others sometimes marginalized by society. My mother was raised on a small farm in rural America and my father grew up in an urban immigrant neighborhood, teaching me to appreciate that a country has to capitalize on the unique backgrounds and strengths of all of its citizens to succeed.
As the official representative of the United States Government, I will of course be working with this country’s institutions and political leaders. But I want to underscore at the very beginning of my tenure in BiH how seriously I am counting on individual citizens and civil society as we address numerous challenges that lie ahead. From what I have learned about BiH and the vast experience of my U.S. Embassy team, I believe we have to rededicate ourselves to supporting the many talented citizens, intellectuals, NGOs, and journalists who play a fundamental role in working towards positive change. Not merely applaud them, but join them. For me, that task starts Monday – stay tuned.
I look forward to getting to know you, hearing your thoughts, dreams, and challenges, and fostering your efforts to make Bosnia and Herzegovina the land of opportunity that it should be. I want to work my way across the country to meet you and experience your rich and diverse culture. As I do so, I plan to continue to use this space to maintain an open dialogue with the people of BiH just as my predecessors had. My country has been a true friend and an ally of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I intend to actively build our relationship on that very strong foundation.
