EU's high representative Catherine Ashton releases critical report of Bosnia

In her quarterly report to the United Nations, Catherine Ashton, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, warned that quarrelsome ethnic leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina were undermining key reforms, reported Dnevni Avaz, a Sarajevo daily, on Tuesday.

Ashton indicated that very little progress had been made with respect to the crucial reforms defined as 'five goals and two conditions' and as stipulated by the Council for the Implementation of Peace.

"There is a decline in communication between political leaders, along with a rise of divisive statements from Republika Srpska ( the Bosnian Serb entity), and inter-ethnic disagreements in the Federation of BiH (the Bosnian entity dominated by Bosniaks and Croats)," Ashton is quoted as saying.

In addition, Ashton specifically reproached Bosnian Serb leaders for disputing the authority of the High Representative to BiH, who represents the interests of the international community.

Republika Srpska had "openly violated" annexes of the Dayton Peace Agreement and was defying the authority of the High Representative, Ashton reported. She went on to say that Bosnian Serb politicians were planning a court challenge of the current and previous High Representatives for abuse of power.

The only cited bright note in the report was the security situation in the country, which was stable and expected to remain that way.

Source: Xinhua