An unnamed source from the Bosnian Council of Ministers said Rasmussen was scheduled to visit on February 7-8 and that this was surprising, since it was announced earlier that he might arrive in Sarajevo in the spring at the earliest, or even in the summer.
A MAP is the last key step a country has to make to apply for NATO membership.
NATO foreign ministers approved a MAP for Bosnia in December 2009, with the stipulation that it will go into force when the issue of ownership of property required for the Bosnian army to function is solved. The property consists of barracks and other facilities that were used by the former Yugoslav army and were owned by the former Yugoslav federation.
Bosnian politicians cannot agree on what to do with said property because Serb entity authorities insist that all property owned by the former Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina be divided between the two entities and registered as their property to be used by the military.
NATO has rejected such an approach, stating that the armed forces and the Defence Ministry must own the property that will be registered as theirs.
According to Nezavisne Novine, Rasmussen has requested to meet with the members of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers and especially with the leaders of the six political parties making up the ruling coalition at state level.
"This is a clear sign that this time NATO wants to exert pressure so that the agreement can be implemented," the source said.
It is assumed that NATO believes the problem can be solved in the months ahead, making it possible to activate the MAP in September.