While ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting on Monday 21 February, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that a decision should be taken on how to stop the nationalist and separatist rhetoric in Bosnia, describing the situation as “critical”, the EU Ministers did not take any decision, except to focus on dialogue.
“We discussed how to preserve the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the country. We have urged the political leaders to take responsibility for preserving the Constitution, ensure the full return to the State institutions”, Borrell said, recalling that there was no place in Europe for a divided Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Those who work in this direction are strongly wrong. They are depriving their people of a prosperous European perspective and life”, he warned. However, for the time being, the EU has not decided to take action. “We are ready to use all the instruments available, if the situation requires it, [including] financial assistance and restrictive measures, but this will be used as the last resort and certainly we would prefer the dialogue and the agreement between parties in order to ensure the reforms needed to develop the forthcoming elections”, Borrell explained.
The EU has already blocked funds to Republika Srpska. “We will continue to do so; if it shows no interest in preserving the integrity of the State, it will feel the consequences”, warned Austrian minister Alexander Schallenberg.
According to Mr Borrell, the foreign ministers gave their full support to the European and American representatives who are “trying to facilitate political dialogue in order to reach an agreement on the electoral and constitutional reforms, including limited constitutional amendments that could improve the functionality of the Federation”. “We want to see a comprehensive reform package agreed and implemented ahead of the elections” scheduled for October, Irish minister Simon Coveney said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)