SARAJEVO,Bosnia – The new international community's High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajcak, who has officially assumed office on Monday, presented himself to the Bosnian public in a TV address.
"I am aware that Bosnia is a country whose people suffered most during the tragedy that took place in the first half of the nineties. That is the very reason Bosnia, more than any other country, deserves to have a future that is better and brighter than its past, said Lajcak in the address to the Bosnian citizens broadcasted by the Bosnian State Television (BHT1).
Ambassador Lajcak stressed, among other things that practical steps that improve the quality of life of the Bosnian citizens can be taken immediately, because the forces exist to do that – no major political deals or difficult compromises are necessary.
He declared that much has already been achieved, and yet many people argue that Bosnia still lacks reconciliation and confidence. Reforms seem to have stalled, momentum seems to have been lost.
He stressed that the voters did not put the politicians there in order to radicalize conflicts and demonstrate a lack of interest in cooperation, but in order to protect the voters’ interests. And that can be done in one way only – by looking for compromises. Only compromise – meaning, defending one’s own interests but not at the price of ignoring the interests of others – can move Bosnia forward. This simple rule will most probably have to be repeated regularly to politicians – both by myself and by you the citizens, added Lajcak.
Thus, he reminded the newly elected representatives that they still have almost an entire mandate ahead of them, and that they should be talking about what their vision is, what the future of Bosnia is, in their opinion, what the goals of their political principals are, what they want to see in Bosnia three and a half years from now.
"We also have the right to ask them what they are doing in that regard, yet I do not see or hear anything like that here. This is why the High Representative has given himself the task of helping to reinstate a measure of mutual trust among politicians, based on which they can go on and implement the stabilization of a functional country and its democratic institutions.
"This is why, together, we cannot and we will not tolerate any activities or statements that push Bosnia back into an atmosphere of tension and hatred. By establishing an atmosphere of confidence and tolerance, we will be able to move forward also with respect to concrete political issues that Bosnia faces today, emphasized the international community's High Representative and EU Special Representative.
Just a year ago Bosnia was making relatively positive progress towards the European Union, and its chances and perspectives were very good. Today, this is no longer the case. This must be said openly and straightforwardly, in the process of European integration Bosnia is today in last place and it is further from the EU than any other country in this region,Lajcak added.
"While other countries in the region are trying hard to do everything to prove that they deserve membership in the EU, you are busy making accusations about one another and about the international community, including the EU. While the other countries in the Balkans are getting substantial sums of money from the EU, getting involved in exchange programs, simplifying travel – in other words they are opening up to the EU and the EU is opening up for them – here, no one is even mentioning the EU. And it seems that the EU is more concerned about this fact than Bosnia itself is, said Lajcak.
Speaking about the Dayton Accords, Ambassador Lajcak said that at the time of concluding the agreement “it was good that it happened”. He added that the international community provides assistance to the extent possible. And the possibilities are not limited by a lack of political strength. They are limited by a profound conviction in the democratic world that things that are imposed by an outside force cannot be of permanent value,he said.
"It is with full legitimacy that the International Community is asking the local politicians to come to an agreement. This is not some kind of unprincipled balancing between quarrelling politicians, nor is it a way to assign guilt equally to everyone", said the international community's High Representative/EU High Representative in Bosnia.
Additionally, his message called for ceasing speculations about the so-called Bonn Powers of the High Representative. These speculations cause division and blur the focus – on one hand, they create unnecessary tension and on the other they cause unrealistic euphoria,he said.
"I want all of us who are participating in the project of building a stable and prosperous Bosnia – the Bosnian citizens, local politicians and representatives of the International Community – to base ourselves on a single political premise: responsibility. In this process each one of us has his/her own responsibility that he/she must be aware of and act on, said Lajcak.
"For my part, I assure you that this is exactly what I am going to do, said Lajcak, adding that he has not come to BiH to demonstrate to us or himself what powers he has in his hands, but that he is here because he wishes to help Bosnia.
Should it be necessary to use my powers, in the interest of achieving this goal, I will not hesitate, underlined the international community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia.
Additionally, Ambassador Lajcak declared that just a few days many people will assemble in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica - the place where a horrible crime took place, where genocide was committed by the Serbian aggressor.
"I hope that many of us will be in Srebrenica. Apart from members of the victims’ families to whom we will again express our condolences there will be many political representative from the entire political spectrum of Bosnia," said Lajcak.
Justice must be fair, objective and unbiased. Those who in any way were active participants in then complex political events cannot interpret justice, as they cannot be objective. It will not help the genocide victims from Srebrenica and it will be harmful to the citizens of Bosnia today if anyone starts to build a political agenda on this tragedy,Lajcak said.
Additionally, the new international community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia spoke about his ambitions in one more area. Namely, he wishes to promote greater understanding here of the world that Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to join, primarily greater understanding of the European Union.
"There is no better future for Bosnia than its EU future. Take my word for it, because I am speaking as a man who is able to compare the difference between being out of the EU and being in the EU on the basis of my own experience," he added.
