EU, U.S. officials meet with Inzko

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos discussed the political situation in Bosnia yesterday.

They met with High Representative Valentin Inzko in Sarajevo.

“The situation in Bosnia is disturbing and the October elections are an opportunity to change this trend,” Inzko said at the meeting.

Steinberg and Moratinos expressed hope that the election campaign will aim at creating better living conditions for all citizens, as well as concrete measures which would help Bosnia speed up its way toward the EU and NATO.

Inzko said that the “concrete measures involve the economy and reforms in general, which will turn Bosnia into a credible EU membership candidate, but political leaders should also restrain from an artificial increase of tensions.”

Regarding the statement made by RS Premier Milorad Dodik, who recently called on “a peaceful separation” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU and U.S. officials assessed that the Dayton Agreement offers no such option.

They said that “such claims are unacceptable and must cease.”

Moratinos and Steinberg are visiting Bosnia in order to stimulate and speed up Bosnia’s stepping up to Euroatlantic integrations.

During the two-day visit, they will meet with Bosnian officials and political party representatives.