The United States and the European Union on Wednesday (October 20) expressed their support for the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to join the European Union, but expressed concern about the “increasingly divided rhetoric” of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania all hope to join the 27-nation wealthy European Union, but progress in joining the EU has been slow.
in a Joint Statement Nearly a week after the head of EU foreign policy Joseph Borrell and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinken held talks in Washington, the European Union and the U.S. government assured the Western Balkans that they support the expansion of the European Union.
“This area belongs to the European Union,” the statement said.
It also stated that Washington and Brussels support Bosnia’s efforts to “promote elections and constitutional reforms and maintain the functions of its national institutions”.
“We are seriously concerned about the increasingly divided rhetoric of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” it said.
“We call on all parties to respect and protect national institutions, resume constructive dialogue, and take measures to promote progress on the road to EU integration-including related reforms.”
Under the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-95 War in Bosnia, the country was split into two autonomous regions—the Republic of Serbia and the Bosnia-Croatian Federation—connected by a relatively weak trilateral inter-ethnic presidency.
The leader of Bosnian Serb separatism, Milorad Dodik, who is also a Serb member of the presidential palace, said last week that the leader of the Serb Republic will soon take steps to dissolve some of the main institutions of the Bosnian state.
Dodik has long stated that Bosnia’s judicial and prosecutors were established in accordance with the decision of the international peace envoy and were not included in its constitution.
The European Commission announced its annual “Expansion Package” on Tuesday, which includes an 125 page report on Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe report stated that the country is still in the “early stage” of preparing to join the EU, and it is particularly critical for the implementation of the political standards for EU membership. No progress was reported on improving the electoral framework or judicial reform.
