EU CALLS ON BOSNIA TO ACCELERATE NECESSARY REFORMS

SARAJEVO, April 11 (Hina) - The European Union is ready to do everything in order that Bosnia-Herzegovina signs a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, however, this now depends exclusively on Bosnian politicians, European Union Foreign Affairs' Commissioner Chris Patten said in Sarajevo on Thursday.#L# At a news conference, held after talks with High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Wolfgang Petritsch, Patten said Bosnian authorities were expected to fulfil their obligations last year which would help the establishment of relations between Sarajevo and Brussels. Patten said the European Union was still prepared to fulfil its obligations because it wanted close relations with Bosnia. Should Bosnian authorities fulfil the obligations in the next two to three months, a working group could meet in July and start preparing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The Agreement could be signed next year, Patten said. High Representative Petritsch said Bosnia had no other choice apart from approaching the European Union. Patten said the European Union entirely supported Petritsch's efforts invested in the implementation of the constitutional reforms in Bosnia. Petritsch reiterated that the international community will not accept anything bellow the so-called "Sarajevo agreement". He confirmed the amendments adopted by the Republika Srpska parliament last week, would have to be changed. (hina) it