Intl Overseers Urge Bosnian Politicians To Show Greater Flexibility on Path to Euro-Atlantic Integration

A political deadlock among Bosnia’s top leaders representing its three main ethnic groups - Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats – on the future role of the international overseeing body in the country, the Office of the High Representative (OHR), has stalled political, legislative and economic reforms aimed at building closer ties with the European Union (EU).

Bosnia’s application to join the EU cannot be considered as long as the OHR exists, the Steering Board of Bosnia’ Peace Implementation Council (PIC) said in a statement after a two-meeting in Sarajevo. The PIC comprises key countries and international organisations involved in the peace process in Bosnia following the 1992-1995 war.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) consists of a Muslim-Croat Federation, a Serb Republic and a neutral Brcko District, formed by the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement which put an end to the ethnic war in the Balkan country.

The international overseers were expected to discuss the OHR closure during their two-day meeting but the statement they issued only said the PIC’s next meeting will take place in Sarajevo on February 24-25, 2010.

Their meeting followed weeks of intense but fruitless diplomatic efforts to persuade the leaders of Bosnia’s biggest political parties to agree on a reform proposal put forward by the EU and the U.S.

“The PIC Steering Board welcomed the current engagement of BiH’s political leaders in discussions on constitutional change, and encouraged these leaders to remain seriously engaged and to reach lasting agreements, on the basis of the required political consensus, that will improve political functionality and better equip BiH’s institutions for future challenges,” the statement said.

Bosnia and Albania are the only Western Balkan countries left out of the recent European Union proposal to scrap visas for nationals of the region as of December 19. The proposal called for visa-free travel for the citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

The European Commission said in its annual progress report last month that Bosnia had made little advance towards EU accession this year as deteriorating political climate and nationalistic rhetoric have stalled reforms. Bosnia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, the first formal step towards membership, in 2008 but since then the political deadlock has blocked reforms designed to prepare the country for joining the bloc.

The PIC Steering Board urged the leaders of Bosnia to refrain from divisive rhetoric and behaviour that further polarises the political atmosphere in the country, the statement said.

In light of the challenging economic situation in Bosnia the country's authorities should intensify efforts to implement the measures of 1.2 billion euro stand-buy deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) "including reforms to render the system of social benefits sustainable, more efficient, and more equitable as discussed with the World Bank."

Talks between Bosnia and the IMF will end on Friday when the international lender is expected to announce when and under what conditions it will release the second tranche of the loan. If Bosnia gets the thumbs-up, it will receive a tranche of some 100 million euro by the year's end. But the country needs to adopt a 2010 budget draft by December 31 if it is to maintain its agreement with the IMF, local media reported on Thursday.

The PIC Steering Board also urged Bosnia to urgently adopt a law to be able to conduct a population census in 2011, in line with relevant EU requirements.