SARAJEVO, May 25 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, on Sunday forwarded an open letter, on the occasion of the first anniversary since he took office, warning citizens of
that country that they should no longer count on gifts and charity of the European Union and that the process of Bosnia's admission into the EU will exclusively depend on whether necessary reforms will be carried out.
SARAJEVO, May 25 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, on Sunday
forwarded an open letter, on the occasion of the first anniversary
since he took office, warning citizens of that country that they
should no longer count on gifts and charity of the European Union
and that the process of Bosnia's admission into the EU will
exclusively depend on whether necessary reforms will be carried
out. #L#
According to Ashdown, Brussels has sent a clear message that there
are no more presents.
Europe will offer assistance to Bosnia and that assistance will
perhaps increase but only after Bosnians carry out the reforms,
read Ashdown's letter.
The Briton assessed that in the past 12 months much had been done in
the struggle against crime and in bids to bring some order in the
country, but the results were still far from desirable, according
to him.
Politics, corruption and crime are still too tightly connected and
the ties must be severed, he warned adding that the detection of
cases of corruption on a larger scale has just started and a
significant number war crimes suspects are still at large.
He cautioned that difficult economic reforms are to be launched,
without which there is no improvement.
(hina) ms