US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the hearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress, confirming that the United States supports an Italian diplomat as the new high representative in our country.
Answering the questions of the Republican representative Keith Self, which concerned the expansion of NATO, the situation in Kosovo and the role of the high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rubio showed an enviable familiarity with the situation in the Western Balkans and revealed the direction in which American support will go.
“There is a new candidate for the high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina that we will support. It is a gentleman from Italy who we believe would do a good job in helping to ensure some stability in that position,” said Rubio.
In addition to the appointment issue, Rubio also sent a clear message about Washington’s position when it comes to the territorial integrity and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In addition, we remain engaged on this topic, as you pointed out, and we do so privately. The last thing we want to see is any kind of conflict there, any kind of division, secession or things of that nature that would create further conflict,” the US Secretary of State emphasized.
PIC in Sarajevo and the real battle behind closed doors
Rubio’s statement comes at a crucial time. A two-day session of the Governing Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) is underway in Sarajevo, where a decision should be made on the successor to the current head of the OHR.
Although Rubio did not say his full name, it is clear that he is referring to Antonio Zanardi Landi, a 76-year-old experienced Italian diplomat. Along with him, Rene Troccaz and William Ruger were mentioned as the main candidates before the members of the PIC Board of Directors.
However, as we wrote earlier, the discussion about names, no matter how attractive it is to the public, is not the main and essential battle that is being fought at the PIC session. The most debated issue is the future of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), i.e. freedom of action, use of Bonn powers and the need for interventions in the domestic political situation.
USA vs. Europe: How do they see the future of OHR?
When the ambassadors and political directors of the member states sit down at the table, the main question is what the mandate of the High Representative should look like in the next few years.
This is precisely where the essential divergence between the USA and European countries is reflected.
Washington views the OHR in the coming period as an “empty shell”, that is, a transition phase that would eventually culminate in the relocation or shutdown of this office. The only thing Americans are really interested in at the moment is solving the issue of state property, in order to start implementing the strategic project of building the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline. In addition, the US increasingly views the OHR as a burden.
On the other hand, European countries see the OHR as a “necessary evil”. In Brussels and the key European capitals, they are aware that the OHR should have been shut down, but that the conditions for this have not yet been created. The mission for which this institution was founded has not yet been completed, and leaving before the goals are fulfilled could be extremely negative for the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
So, while information in the public is mainly focused on names, the actions of the future high representative, and even the Italian candidate himself, who is supported by the USA, will depend on the consensus of the great powers. We will get an answer to the question of which bloc within the PIC prevailed only through the actions of the new high representative in the first few months of his mandate.
