Brussels, 08/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - "After the Dayton phase, Bosnia and Herzegovina has now entered the European phase of its development", said Romano Prodi during a visit to Sarajevo on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the siege of the Bosnian capital ten years ago. Mr Prodi also warned, without mentioning any names, against the separatist attempts of the Serbs of Bosnia in the Sprska Republic. In this "European phase" of Bosnia's history, there is no place for "confrontation, nationalism and extremism", he said. The Dayton Peace Agreement has brought reestablishment and reconciliation. It is now up to Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue its reforms, adopt a "new attitude", and cooperate with its neighbours, he said. Drawing a parallel with the European Union "founded on diversity", Romano Prodi called upon Sarajevo to be "an example of multiethnicity, as European capital of a European state". It is not, in his view, either in the interest of the Balkans or of Europe to allow new internal borders to take shape, as this would be tantamount to entering "a new cycle of break-up and disintegration".
While on official visit to Sarajevo, Romano Prodi discussed with the Bosnian President and Prime Minister on the stabilisation and association process that links the European Union to each of the Balkan States. Mr Prodi declared that the EU gave its full support to the reform process underway in Bosnia, but considered that Bosnia was not yet ready to open negotiations on a bilateral stabilisation and association agreement, explained a Commission spokesman. Neither the President of the Commission nor his discussion partners gave a date for opening talks, the spokesman explained.