US secretary for Europe and Eurasia says Bosnia must progress much more

Bosnia and Herzegovina has not made significant political and social progress over the past four years, US diplomat Thomas Countryman says.

The US deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs said that Bosnia is no closer to the EU and NATO than it had been four years ago. He added that the country was seriously lagging behind other countries in the Balkans.

Countrtyman also expressed regret that some of the basic principles of the Dayton Agreement, which formed the foundation of Bosnia’s Constitution following the 1992-1995 war, had still not been universally accepted.

“I would prefer that we can concentrate on political development on a path towards the EU. But, we and other members of the international community still need to protect the basic principles of Dayton,” he said.

He reiterated that the basic principles of the Dayton Agreement include Bosnia being seen as a single state with two entities and three constituent peoples. He added that the US would defend the principles.