U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien reaffirmed Washington's support for High Representative Christian Schmidt during a visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina on February 2.
At a meeting in Sarajevo, O'Brien and Schmidt discussed what they described as the most urgent challenges facing Bosnia, the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia said on X, formerly Twitter.
Since the Dayton peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War, the country has consisted of the Bosniak-Croat federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska under a weak central government.
The country has been overseen by a civilian high representative with UN backing and sweeping powers, the position currently held by Schmidt, who has been embroiled in a dispute with the leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, who has close ties to Russia.
Dodik, who is under U.S. and U.K. sanctions, has called for Republika Srpska's secession from Bosnia.
Dodik has been charged over two laws he signed in July that allow the Bosnian Serb entity to bypass or ignore decisions made by Schmidt.
Both laws were adopted in June by the assembly of Republika Srpska in which Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) has the majority.
Schmidt on July 1 annulled both laws using his so-called "Bonn powers," which allow him to adopt binding decisions and remove public officials from office.
He also imposed changes to Bosnia's Criminal Code stipulating that an official who does not respect the decisions of the high representative can be punished with a prison sentence of six months to five years and banned from all public duties.
Christian Schmidt, high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina (file photo)
O'Brien "reaffirmed the United States' strong support for the high representative and his use of the Bonn Powers to implement and defend the Dayton Peace Agreement, support Bosnia and its institutions as well as ensure those institutions’ functionality, and counter inflammatory rhetoric and actions aimed at undermining both," the embassy said.
O'Brien also "underscored the United States' unwavering commitment to Bosnia-Herzegovina's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and multiethnic character" during meetings with Bosnian leaders, including Foreign Minister [Elmedin] Konakovic and the members of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia.
He reaffirmed Washington's support for Bosnia's "integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions and encouraged leaders to adopt reforms that meet international standards necessary to accomplish this," the embassy said.
Bosnia was officially given the status of candidate for European Union membership in December 2022, but has yet to start accession talks with the bloc, which require fulfilling certain criteria.