US special envoy: Bosnian leaders will hopefully reach compromise

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Bosnian leaders will hopefully be able to find a path forward through a compromise that would make all of them feel their position is better, Matthew Palmer, recently appointed US special envoy for the Western Balkans, told media in Bled, Slovenia on Monday, asked to comment on the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“But fundamentally, what we need in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the kind of political reforms that will support strong, functional institutions at the state level as well as at the level of the Federation (entity),” said Palmer speaking to reporters in Bled, which hosts the Western Balkan leaders’ strategic forum this week.

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The Annual National Programme (ANP), a document which Bosnian authorities are expected to send to NATO HQ in Brussels and which has been blocking the government formation for months, is not a decision on membership, explained the US official.

“Right now we're not talking about the membership, what's under discussion is submitting the Annual National Programme to NATO and starting a dialogue that's aimed at strengthening the defence and security sector in Bosnia. This is not a decision on membership. That comes much later and there will be plenty of opportunities for the political leadership in Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss that issue”, he underlined.

Full statement available in the video below: