High Representative and EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Valentin Inzko has urged the International Community to remain unified and pro-actively engaged in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). “After four years of stagnation, BiH leaders have been given a chance for a fresh start”, HR/EUSR Inzko told high-ranking interlocutors today in Berlin. HR/EUSR Inzko met among others the Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and German Secretary of State Wolf-Ruthart Born.

With regard to Constitutional Reform, Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to address  the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the Sejdic-Finci case as a matter of priority. BiH must also increase efforts to improve its decision-making in order to speed up the country’s integration into the EU. HR/EUSR Inzko stressed that “we do not have a sustainable and functional political set-up yet”. Inzko underlined that clear red lines must be drawn. Roll-back of reforms and challenges to the Dayton Peace Agreement must stop. The recent Progress Report by the European Commission has confirmed that in the last four years there was only minimal advancement on BiH’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration and fulfilment of the “5 plus 2” agenda.

On Saturday 11 December HR/EUSR Inzko is speaking in a high level conference on Southeast Europe organised by The Aspen Institute and the Austrian Foreign Ministry entitled “Perspectives for Southeast Europe: Germany, Austria and the U.S. in Dialogue with Leaders from the Region”.

In his speech the HR/EUSR will highlight the “ongoing process of regional reconciliation” in the relations among the states of the Western Balkans, which through significant gestures and high-level visits have substantially improved in 2010. “The regional prospects for reconciliation are better today than they have been for two decades”, HR/EUSR Inzko will add his hope that this new spirit of rapprochement will now start to have positive effects on the political scene within BiH, too. “The elections on 3 October indicated a shift in support towards pragmatic and constructive options. The task now is to ensure that this is reflected in the policies and approach of the incoming governments. They have to seize this opportunity.”