U.S. Presses Bosnian Presidency On Constitutional Reforms

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns (file photo) (epa) Washington, 21 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A top U.S. State Department official has urged Bosnian leaders to reach agreement on constitutional reforms to end lingering divisions in their country.

Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns pressed Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-member Presidency to move beyond the Dayton agreement to take the steps that will help Bosnia's integration into the European Union.

The Dayton agreement, reached 10 years ago today, split Bosnia-Herzegovina into Serbian and Croat-Muslim entities.

U.S. officials are meeting with the Bosnian Presidency in Washington in the hope they will reach agreement in time for a ceremony tomorrow. U.S. officials also hope they will issue a statement affirming a commitment to bring indicted war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic to justice.

(RFE/RL Washington correspondent)