"Deal between EU, U.S. needed in Bosnia"

Political analyst Obrad Kesic said that the U.S. and EU must agree on how to approach the negotiations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He believes that the international community is blocked because of disagreements between the EU and America, and adds that the international community is "overly engaged" and is directly taking over authority from the state and local institutions, without respecting the democratic process. "Deal between EU, U.S. needed in Bosnia" According to Kesic, the largest-scale violations of human rights in the last 15 years in the Balkans were perpetrated by the high international representative to Bosnia. Advisors of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and U.S. Under Secretary of State James Steinberg will be talking with local political leaders from the entire region, "in order to create some kind of document based on those talks", the analyst continued. But Kesic said that he does not believe anything would change in the next ten days. The first meeting of EU and American officials with representatives of seven Bosnian political party officials was held in Butmir, near Sarajevo on October 9, where proposals were made for turning Bosnia-Herzegovina into a functioning country. The talks are scheduled to be continued on October 20. Kesic told B92 that the “firefighters are the pyromaniacs at the same time” and that one of the key causes of the current situation in Bosnia is the international community, especially the OHR, which does not have authority and whose decisions the Serb entity, RS, does not accept. He said that there is serious conflict between the U.S. and EU on almost every issue related to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that the U.S. sees Bosnia as being on the brink of war, while the EU thinks that the situation is bad, but that progress had been made, and that another war is impossible. There is no agreement on what should be done and the EU wants to solve practical questions which would lead to the closing of the high representative's office, OHR, by the end of the year, which America does not want, Kesic explained. He added that the EU wants to take care of the problem of visa liberalization, while he U.S. is “pushing” on the issue of constitutional reforms. According to this analyst, as far as state property is concerned, there is hope that the issue could be solved quickly, because there are no big disagreements between local politicians and because there is an agreement on state property made between the three prime ministers. He said that the goal of the Butmir conference is to improve the relations and strengthen cooperation between Europe and America through Bosnia, and to maintain the credibility of both. Kesic said that solving the practical and difficult problems in Bosnia is in third place on the list of priorities, and that nothing new has been offered. He also stated that America’s policy in Bosnia is not related to "any important or vital interests of the U.S".

"Deal between EU, U.S. needed in Bosnia"

According to Kesić, the largest-scale violations of human rights in the last 15 years in the Balkans were perpetrated by the high international representative to Bosnia.

Advisors of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and U.S. Under Secretary of State James Steinberg will be talking with local political leaders from the entire region, "in order to create some kind of document based on those talks", the analyst continued.

But Kesić said that he does not believe anything would change in the next ten days.

The first meeting of EU and American officials with representatives of seven Bosnian political party officials was held in Butmir, near Sarajevo on October 9, where proposals were made for turning Bosnia-Herzegovina into a functioning country.

The talks are scheduled to be continued on October 20.

Kesić told B92 that the “firefighters are the pyromaniacs at the same time” and that one of the key causes of the current situation in Bosnia is the international community, especially the OHR, which does not have authority and whose decisions the Serb entity, RS, does not accept.

He said that there is serious conflict between the U.S. and EU on almost every issue related to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that the U.S. sees Bosnia as being on the brink of war, while the EU thinks that the situation is bad, but that progress had been made, and that another war is impossible.

There is no agreement on what should be done and the EU wants to solve practical questions which would lead to the closing of the high representative's office, OHR, by the end of the year, which America does not want, Kesić explained.

He added that the EU wants to take care of the problem of visa liberalization, while he U.S. is “pushing” on the issue of constitutional reforms.

According to this analyst, as far as state property is concerned, there is hope that the issue could be solved quickly, because there are no big disagreements between local politicians and because there is an agreement on state property made between the three prime ministers.

He said that the goal of the Butmir conference is to improve the relations and strengthen cooperation between Europe and America through Bosnia, and to maintain the credibility of both.

Kesić said that solving the practical and difficult problems in Bosnia is in third place on the list of priorities, and that nothing new has been offered.

He also stated that America’s policy in Bosnia is not related to "any important or vital interests of the U.S".