High Representative Christian Schmidt attended the 16th Dubrovnik Forum “Navigating the global reshuffle” and spoke at the panel discussion “Western Balkans: A New Euro-Atlantic Momentum”.
During the Forum, HR Schmidt had a number of meetings, including with the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Stewart Peach, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade – Priština Dialogue and other Western Balkan issues, Miroslav Lajčak, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Gabriel Escobar, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, and Director for the EU at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs David Cvach.
The High Representative and his collocutors exchanged views on the most recent developments in BiH, in particular the situation in Republika Srpska in light of the decisions taken by the High Representative to prevent the RS authorities’ undermining of the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The international partners expressed their full support to the High Representative and the execution of his powers in response to the actions of the RS President Milorad Dodik and others that are unconstitutional and in violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and are undermining the structure of BiH. They agreed that a strong response and a common strategic approach by the international community is required in order to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as reforms, development, and stability achieved so far.
