Rehn urges BiH to fulfil EU-required reforms

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn is urging BiH to implement constitutional reforms and close the Office of the High Representative to advance its EU bid. Rehn was scheduled to deliver a speech to parliament in Sarajevo on Saturday (July 25th), but cancelled his visit due to health problems. The European Commission released his speech instead. In it, he said that BiH should modernise its government, which is currently divided between the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska.

The EU wants to offer BiH visa liberalisation in 2010, if the country manages to meet necessary conditions over the next several months. Rehn added that the EU will grant 40m euros as part of a package aimed to helping BiH overcome the impact of the global financial crisis. A total of 440m euros have been slated for the country until 2011.