US ambassador urges BiH to boost reforms on road to EU, NATO

12/05/2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- US Ambassador to BiH Charles English said on Sunday (May 11th) that political leaders must boost their efforts for EU or NATO entry to be realistic. At a debate organised by the Association of Independent Intellectuals Circle 99, English stressed that much more is necessary on BiH's road to the two institutions. Politicians "can't fritter away three years on bitter debates over every reform or waste their energy on narrow ethnic interests", English told forum participants.

He said Serbs in the three-entity country have to accept the fact that their future lies within BiH. "Lasting prosperity and development can and must be entirely common. There's no doubt that a prosperous and successful Republika Srpska can exist only as part of a strong and prosperous BiH," English said, warning that any secessionist rhetoric creates destabilisation. Regarding Croats living in BiH, English said that while the US government realises they are dissatisfied with current arrangements, "proposals focused on internal borders and the territorial organisation of BiH intensify ethnic division". Bosniaks, English said, should not allow the past to govern their political plans or limit their participation in reforms. (RTRS, SRNA, FoNet, NTV Hayat, Fena - 11/05/08)