He addressed the media before meeting with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, saying that his visit to BiH after last week’s visit by German Foreign Minister Annalene Baerbock meant that the international community had not given up on thiscountry.
Schmidt commented on the security situation in the country and told citizens that there was no reason to worry and that EUFOR soldiers were in BiH to guarantee security and freedom for all.
“When people here ask me lately if they should be afraid because they see EUFOR troops, I make it clear to them that it is the opposite and that they can be considered safe precisely because EUFOR is here,” Schmidt explained.
Also, he added that “there is no war” in BiH but that there is a political crisis that is blocking the country’s European path.
The essence of everything is the obligation of political representatives to come and work. Mr. Dodik should be told that the blockade should be stopped and that it will happen only when needed people arrive, and not just for five minutes per meeting, but also when they start working on the decision-making,” the High Representative said.
He told that negotiations on the Election Law of BiH and its amendments are one of the ways to continue the path of BiHtowards membership in the European Union (EU).
“But, it will not be a matter of inviting someone to work. It depends on the dialogue how things will develop further. You know that the United States (U.S.) and the EU are talking about the conditions that must be met in order to gain further support,” said Schmidt.
In the end, he added that the International Community in BiH will remain a secure but not naive partner and that the state itself must move in order to move forward.
E.Dz.
Source: BHRT
