The United States continues to support its nominee, Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi, for the position of High Representative and has not abandoned that proposal, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Vranješ said during an appearance on RTRS’s morning programme.
“On the other hand, the European Union is prepared to support Landi, but only with a number of conditions. First and foremost, the Bonn Powers must remain in place. They believe the new High Representative should focus on the 5+2 agenda and place state property at the centre of his mandate. They also advocate bypassing the UN Security Council, meaning that the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) would appoint the High Representative,” Vranješ said.
According to Vranješ, the United States has not been willing to accept the conditions proposed by London, Brussels, Paris and Berlin.
“There is also another possible scenario—if no agreement is reached, there would be an acting High Representative until a permanent appointment is made. In that case, the role would be assumed by the Brčko District Supervisor, Louis Crishock. However, the Americans have clearly stated that they do not want to see Christian Schmidt in Bosnia and Herzegovina after July 1,” Vranješ said.
According to media reports, discussions have been postponed until the end of June, with two candidates currently under consideration—an Italian diplomat and a French diplomat.
At the same time, officials in Republika Srpska maintain that the Peace Implementation Council has no authority to appoint a High Representative without the consent of the signatories to the Dayton Peace Agreement, arguing that the legitimacy of both the appointment process and the office itself will be crucial for future relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: RTRS
