SETimes.comGregorian: bad rhetoric is preventing OHR closure
20/07/2009
In an exclusive interview with Southeast European Times, Principal Deputy High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina Raffi Gregorian shares his views on the current political situation in BiH.
By Antonio Prlenda for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo – 20/07/09
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a potential candidate for EU accession, joined NATO's Partnership for Peace programme in late 2006, and was invited to begin an Intensified Dialogue on its membership last year.
"Bosnia and Herzegovina is now far more secure. Developments on the civil side continue to progress. NATO Allies are committed to aiding Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to develop, prosper and move towards Euro-Atlantic standards," said a NATO analysis last March.
Despite advancements, the Balkan country still has a long road ahead before it joins NATO and the EU. Deputy High Representative in BiH Raffi Gregorian was appointed to help walk BiH down that road -- a job Gregorian hopes will be extinct one day.
"It is because of statements by the Republika Srpska (RS) leadership that the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) has not been able … to take a decision on Office of the High Representative (OHR) closure," Gregorian said in an exclusive interview with Southeast European Times.
It will take a lot of hard work over a number of years, but BiH will join NATO and the EU, he says.
Gregorian earned his PhD in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 1998, an MA in War Studies from King’s College, University of London in 1989, and a BA with Honours from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. He is a commissioned officer in the US Naval Reserve and has served on active duty in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon.
Southeast European Times: What is your view on Serbian President Boris Tadic's official visit to RS, and his statement that "anyone who wants stability of the Western Balkans wants to avoid situations in which legitimate decisions of people's representatives are being annulled"?
Raffi Gregorian: I believe that President Tadic was trying to help prevent an overreaction by RS, and that his private messages were in keeping with that intention. It is unfortunate that some of his public messages conveyed a different picture. However, as the RS National Assembly conclusions were anti-Dayton and anti-constitutional, his comments are not applicable to the issue in question.
SETimes: What do you see as OHR's role in breaking the log jam for constitutional reform in BiH, and how do you measure your success in doing so thus far?
Gregorian: I know that the EU and the United States are jointly committed to assisting BiH in the process of upgrading its constitution to enhance stability, increase functionality and facilitate accession into the EU and NATO. Constitutional changes are not among the [requirements] for closing the OHR, although [the office] has an interest in making sure any changes are consistent with the Dayton Peace Accords. Facilitation of constitutional change is, however, part of the EU Special Representative's (EUSR) mandate, and it is through that mechanism that one could expect the EU to be involved in the matter.
What the international community wants to see is a more efficient and better functioning BiH that is able to fulfil its obligations as a full member of the EU and NATO. If BiH becomes a member of the UN Security Council in January, it may help demonstrate what changes are needed to improve government decision-making in foreign and defence policy, which in turn could help facilitate BiH's prospects for EU and NATO membership in the future.
SETimes: With the OHR planning to shut down by the end of the year, how do you think that will affect the political situation in the country?
Gregorian: The decision on the OHR closure and transition to the reinforced EUSR can only be taken by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) following completion of the five objectives and two conditions. One of the conditions is their assessment of the political situation in the country. Statements by some politicians that destabilise the situation are not helpful. It is a paradox that those who are the strongest advocates of OHR closure are most frequently the ones heating up the political atmosphere.
It is because of statements by the RS leadership that the PIC has not been able for the last three years to take a decision on OHR closure. Threatening talk of a so-called "Plan B" will obviously not contribute to meeting the second condition. In any case, OHR closure does not mean the end of the international community engagement in BiH. On the contrary, it will mean enhanced engagement by the EU and all of its institutions.
SETimes: SDA President Sulejman Tihic has publicly criticised the international response for not punishing the RS' anti-Dayton actions and RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik's ill rhetoric. How do you respond to his allegations?
Gregorian: The RS National Assembly conclusions were anti-Dayton and anti-constitutional, and the OHR annulled them when RS officials made clear they had no intention of correcting their mistake. Mr. Dodik's rhetoric is unacceptable and will eventually come back to haunt him.
As the PIC has noted repeatedly in the past, the international community retains all of the instruments needed to insure adherence to the Dayton Peace Accords. This means that in addition to the authorities vested in the HR and EUFOR "on the ground" in BiH, various international organisations and national governments also have authorities and measures that can be employed to insure the peace.
SETimes: What is the most important message that you want to communicate to the people of BiH?
Gregorian: You WILL join NATO and you WILL join the EU. It will take a lot of hard work over a number of years, but it will be worth it in the end. The current political situation may be bad, but as it was much better three years ago, it also can and will be better again, most likely after the next elections. So don't lose hope!