As a potential candidate for EU membership, Bosnia-Herzegovina has prospects many other countries do not have, but those prospects can become a reality only if it meets the conditions set by the European Union, Rehn told reporters after meeting Bosnian officials.
He recalled that Bosnia-Herzegovina had to fulfil 16 conditions before starting negotiations on a stabilisation and association agreement. On the top of the list of the conditions is cooperation with the Hague tribunal and reform of the police force.
Rehn's first official visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina since his appointment as enlargement commissioner coincided with a political crisis in the country caused by announced resignations of a majority of Serb officials in government bodies.
Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic has resigned, while Transport and Communications Minister Branko Dokic, Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac and several deputy ministers have announced their resignation in protest at alleged attempts by the international community to change the constitutional structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina by reducing the powers of the country's Serb entity, Republika Srpska.
In this context Rehn said that it was very important at the moment for all Bosnian political leaders to demonstrate the necessary responsibility in order to preserve the political stability of the country and to continue the reforms required by the EU.
I believe there is enough political responsibility to resolve the present situation. I also believe that a solution can be found very quickly and that immediately after the holidays all energy can be directed at the expected reforms, the EU official said.
The Serb Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Borislav Paravac, who offered his resignation last Saturday, said after the talks with Rehn that there was indeed a political crisis in the country, but insisted that it was not insoluble.
"It is a crisis which I hope we will successfully resolve within Bosnia-Herzegovina," Paravac briefly told reporters, without suggesting possible solutions.
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, said that the existing political crisis was directly affecting his government, and that it would delay the necessary reforms.
Terzic said that early elections, as one of the possible solutions to the present crisis favoured by opposition parties, would be the worst solution, because there was "neither time nor money". He added that it would take at least six months to prepare elections and that it would be necessary to secure five million marks (about 2.5 million euros) for their conduct.