“Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina have slowed down, despite commitments from all political parties to ensure fast progress on the EU agenda”, High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák told French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner during a meeting in Paris last night. As a result, EU Foreign Ministers will engage in a thorough review of the situation in BiHHH at their next meeting on 10 November in Brussels.

Kouchner and Lajčák agreed that no party will be allowed to roll back the progress achieved over the last 13 years in moving Bosnia and Herzegovina from post-war transition to an EU pre-accession country. They insisted that BiH authorities must work harder to meet all conditions and objectives set by the PIC in February 2008, so as to facilitate a smooth transition from OHR to EUSR.

The HR/EUSR also stressed that any decision on the future role of EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina must take due consideration of the political situation in the country, and not be based solely on the achievement of military objectives.