The Steering Committee of the Peace Implementation Council (UO PIC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended a two-day session in Sarajevo, and the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt said after the session that it was decided that the international community should retain all the necessary instruments to ensure and respect the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“I thank the international community for giving me unanimous support and also for noting that my mandate continues to be implemented as it is and that the international community retains all the necessary instruments to ensure and respect the Dayton Peace Agreement,” Schmidt said at the conference for journalists in Sarajevo and added:
“I think that once again emphasizes the attitude of the international community, because we are starting an intensive cooperation regarding the future development of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”,
He emphasized that one of the conclusions of the PIC session is that it is important for Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue on the path of European integration.
“We are all working together so that Bosnia and Herzegovina moves on the path of European integration and security. You know that municipal elections will be held in BiH on October 6 and we are grateful that all political parties are registered for these elections and that there are certain transparent rules that are introduced, which was requested by the Organization for European Security and Cooperation – OSCE. Now we have it and we want the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to successfully conduct the elections and to send a message that we care about having free and fair elections in this country and not we accept election fraud and that it will have serious consequences,” said Schmidt.
He pointed out that during the session of the PIC they had the opportunity to hear the presentation of Camil Duraković, the vice-president of BiH entity of Republika Srpska.
“We heard not so good things from him, we heard some bad things because we noticed that the number of attacks on returnees is increasing all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this is especially the case in the RS. It also seems that the authorities of the RS- and the RS police must do more to ensure a safe environment for all citizens living in that entity. We will monitor the situation in that area more closely,” Schmidt emphasized.
He said that “behavior of the authorities of the RS, which is against the Dayton Peace Agreement, will not be tolerated”.
“In the communiqué, the PIC calls for the abandonment of the RS policy which does not recognize and does not cooperate with the High Representative. The authorities of the RS must respect the Dayton Agreement and actively cooperate with the High Representative,” said Schmidt.
He also reminded that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign state with a multi-ethnic character.
“We will defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as agreed in the Dayton Agreement”, said Schmidt and once again emphasized the importance of BiH’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations:
“After this session of the PIC, we are stronger not as an international community, but in our intention to work towards the European future and transatlantic integration of BiH and integration into the European Union.”
The Political Directors of the Steering Committee of the Peace Implementation Council met on June 19 and 20, 2024 to assess opportunities regarding the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The two-day session was focused on the key opportunities and challenges that BiH is facing.
The PIC Board of Directors will hold its next regular meeting on December 3 and 4, 2024, AA writes.
