The Dayton agreement is proving to be an outstanding success, but much more needs to be done so that Bosnia could complete its transformation into a sovereign democracy, the international community's high representative in Bosnia told the press in Dayton, where he attended the tenth anniversary of the peace agreement.
He said the agreement ensured the end of the war in Bosnia and created a stability which enabled the implementation of gradual political and economic reforms, which he added were such that the country could now start negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.
Ashdown said Bosnia should now start gradually changing its Dayton-arranged structure through the consensus of its three peoples in order to create a modern constitution.
He urged creating a highly decentralised state like Switzerland or Belgium which would function better for its citizens and prepare the country for admission to the EU.
Representatives of Bosnia's parliamentary parties and the international community have begun talks on changing the Dayton constitution in a bid to agree changes which will strengthen central institutions of authority and improve Bosnia's functioning as one state.
Ashdown's term as high representative ends in January and the international community plans on abolishing this post by the time of elections in October. The high representative's powers will be assumed by Bosnian authorities, while he will be replaced by an EU special representative.
Speaking at a political forum dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Dayton agreement, Ashdown said the EU should now have the strongest influence on Bosnia's progress.
Speaking to the press about the role of Bosnian Croats, he said that as the least numerous people they were rightfully nervous about the preservation of their national identity, language and culture.
Ashdown said the best guarantee for the preservation of their identity was aggressive work on Bosnia's accession to the EU.
Croats are absolutely crucial for Bosnia, which would not be what it is without the Croat people and would lose its multiethnic character, he said.
Ashdown underlined that although the least numerous, Croats were economically Bosnia's strongest people, as evidenced by Herzegovina's economic power. He said Bosnian Croats' interests would be best served if they stopped complaining that the world treated them unfairly and used their influence and power to shape Bosnia's direction, becoming the leaders on the road to the EU, where he added they would be best protected.