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Bosnian FM calls for withdrawal of international administrators
23.07.2004 - 09:52 CET | By Andrew Beatty EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS -
In an interview with the EUobserver, Bosnia Herzegovinas Foreign Minister, Mladen Ivanic, has called for the country's international administrators to withdraw within two years.
Speaking by telephone from Sarajevo, Mr Ivanic said that the time had come to close the Office of the High Representative (OHR) - the international body that has supervised and run the Bosnian government since 1995.
"I definitely believe that before the next general elections, which will take place in about two years ... Bosnia has to be a normal country with its own institutions, without a High Representative, but with a special representative of the European Union", he told this news-site.
If this were to happen - with the EU taking over NATOs SFOR security mission next year - the Union would have unprecedented powers to promote reform, holding a full range of political and military instruments.
Novice
But with EU military instruments in their infancy, critics say the EU is using Bosnia as a laboratory and is not ready to step into such a leading role.
Mr Ivanic brushed aside such criticism: "We believe that the country is stable and that the next mission led by the EU will be oriented more towards the training of the local forces".
"I don't see any reason to be worried. Even SFOR in the last two years did not really deal with security issues".
But although the Minister sees a more prominent role for the EU, it would not fully take up the OHRs mantle.
"(The EU special representative) will help us to have European criteria in our legislation and implementation of this legislation on the ground".
"It is time to close the mandate of OHR with so-called Bonn powers, that means legislative power", he said: "I don't think that this is something realistically to decide today and implement tomorrow, we need some transitional time for that, definitely".
And that transition time will be spent further integrating with the EU.
Bullypulpit said:None...The "Endtimes" are but an apocolyptic fantasy hoped for by those too afraid to live in this world.
Bullypulpit said:None...The "Endtimes" are but an apocolyptic fantasy hoped for by those too afraid to live in this world.
NewGuy said:Funny, Bully, you seem to have much fear.
I, however, do not.
One could easliy argue you do far less "living" than I as well.
Bullypulpit said:SNERK...!GIGGLE...!HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sorry, but that's the only response you deserve. :teeth:
