The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, said today in Sarajevo, after a meeting with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, that it is of crucial importance that the appointment of the new high representative be carried out in the same way as before, by decision of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), while preserving the full powers and mandate of that institution.
He pointed out that any other solution or possible weakening of the High Representative’s authority would pose a serious risk to the stability of the country, stressing that the OHR has an irreplaceable role in preserving the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Bećirović reminded that the international community played a key role in the creation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and that it was already clear at the end of 1995 that without the institution of a high representative there would be no effective instance for removing obstructions, blockades and attempts to collapse the agreement.
“Unfortunately, the Dayton system is burdened with numerous ethnic veto mechanisms and their abuses, which is why the presence of a high representative is still necessary,” Bećirović pointed out.
He warned that in the current time of major global earthquakes, any weakening of the OHR, as the guardian of the international peace agreement, could have far-reaching consequences, including endangering peace and stability not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in the wider European context.
“If this is allowed, it could destabilize the rest of Europe as well. We have to recognize that in time,” he emphasized.
Speaking about the political relations within the country, Bećirović said that the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity openly shows its goals, including, as he stated, undermining key elements of the Dayton Agreement, demands for the abolition of the OHR and creating assumptions for secession.
According to him, any weakening of the competences and mandate of the OHR would mean direct support for such policies, which he assessed as destructive and anti-Dayton, and said that this should not be allowed.
Bećirović also stated that during the meeting with Costa, it was again confirmed that membership in the European Union and NATO are the strategic foreign policy goals of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He believes that in the past three years, some progress has been made on the way to the EU, but that the overall dynamic of integration is still not at the required level.
“Unfortunately, we continue to face constant obstructions and blockades of the European and Euro-Atlantic route of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said.
He singled out the policy of the current leadership of the Republika Srpska entity as the main factor in the stalemate, which he claims is pro-Russian and anti-European, stating that such policy blocks reform processes and distances BiH from European integration.
He added that the leadership of RS, as he said, follows directives from Moscow and tries to harmonize its policy with that center, instead of with Brussels, which, according to his assessment, is contrary to the interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its strategic commitments.
After the meeting with the members of the Presidency, Costa will also meet with the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto.
Upon his arrival in BiH, the President of the European Council begins his second visit to the countries of the Western Balkans, and will end the visit on June 5 in Tivat, where he will participate in the EU – Western Balkans summit, Fena writes.
