SARAJEVO, Dec 30 (Hina) - The international community's high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petrisch, on Thursday said radical changes must take place to ensure the full realisation of the Dayton peace agreement. In
his New Year's message to the citizens of BH, Petrisch voiced his concern over the situation in the country, saying after five years of the peace process, BH could no longer roam. Petrisch reminded that many influential media were making depressing conclusions about the situation in the country, which he said reflected the new and worrying way of thinking which was starting to prevail in western countries. The high representative said western governments and donors were growing impatient, and reminded that the United States two weeks ago discontinued its support to privatisation in one of Bosnia's two entities, the Croat-Muslim federation, due to serious non-complianc
SARAJEVO, Dec 30 (Hina) - The international community's high
representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petrisch, on
Thursday said radical changes must take place to ensure the full
realisation of the Dayton peace agreement.
In his New Year's message to the citizens of BH, Petrisch voiced his
concern over the situation in the country, saying after five years
of the peace process, BH could no longer roam.
Petrisch reminded that many influential media were making
depressing conclusions about the situation in the country, which he
said reflected the new and worrying way of thinking which was
starting to prevail in western countries.
The high representative said western governments and donors were
growing impatient, and reminded that the United States two weeks
ago discontinued its support to privatisation in one of Bosnia's
two entities, the Croat-Muslim federation, due to serious non-
compliance with all set deadlines.
Petrisch also pointed to the numerous obligations Bosnian bodies of
authority and elected officials had undertaken and then failed to
fulfil. He asserted a country in which such things took place could
only be an abandoned corner in Europe.
The Austrian ambassador reaffirmed he was personally willing to do
everything to improve the situation, but said it would not be
possible unless Bosnia's citizens and elected officials became
involved.
Petrisch appealed to Bosnia's politicians and citizens to
seriously take into account the West's growing dissatisfaction,
and urged them to head in another direction.
Asserting that 2000 would be crucial for the country's future
because of municipal and general elections, the high
representative urged Bosnians to make a reasonable choice.
(hina) ha