Post by radovic on Nov 7, 2007 13:12:37 GMT -5
Bosnia at Odds on EU's Serbia Move
07 11 2007 Sarajevo _ Politicians across Bosnia's ethnic divide have reacted in different ways to the EU's decision to initial a key agreement with Serbia, but not with Bosnia itself.
The European Commission's annual progress report on countries that want to join it, published on Tuesday, opened the way for Serbia to initial a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA, but blocked a similar move for Bosnia and Herzegovina because of its politicians' failure to agree on reforming the police.
Bosnian Serb officials welcomed the EU's decision as a breakthrough for Serbia, while also providing additional motivation for Bosnia to speed up its own reform agenda.
However, the EU's move was denounced by Bosniak (Muslim) politicians, including Haris Silajdzic, the Bosniak member of Bosnia's three-member Presidency.
“I hope that the Serbian leadership will not understand this as a reward for their role in aggression, war crimes and genocide, which was confirmed by the International Court of Justice, and for their ignoring of that ruling,” Silajdzic said.
Silajdzic's remarks were a reference to the Court's ruling earlier this year which held Serbia responsible for failing to try to stop genocide in Bosnia during the war of 1992-95, and for its more recent lack of results in apprehending the most prominent war crimes suspects.
Silajdzic stressed that the EU was reluctant to accept progress in police reform in Bosnia, while at the same time it rewarded Serbia, even though leading Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic remained in hiding.
Bosniak leaders portrayed the the decision on Serbia as a move to appease Belgrade and make it easier for Serbia's leaders to accept a decision on Kosovo's status that may not go in their favour.
The current phase of internationally-mediated talks on Kosovo's future is due to end by December 10.
Bosniak media reactions were coloured by references to the war in Bosnia in which the Muslim population suffered by far the most casualties.
A comment in the Dnevni Avaz newspaper was headlined, “Reward for Belgrade, Quarantine for the Victims.”
However, other Bosnian political analysts argued that while the EU’s decision on initialling an SAA with Serbia was aimed at softening Belgrade's position on Kosovo, Bosnia's own politicians were themselves responsible for their failure to secure a similar deal because of their bickering over police reform.
“Ultimately, the blame is on Bosnian voters who keep voting for the same politicians, although they [the politicians] keep disappointing them”, said Gordana Katana, analyst for the daily Oslobodjenje.
“You voted for them, now this is what you get,” Katana said.
07 11 2007 Sarajevo _ Politicians across Bosnia's ethnic divide have reacted in different ways to the EU's decision to initial a key agreement with Serbia, but not with Bosnia itself.
The European Commission's annual progress report on countries that want to join it, published on Tuesday, opened the way for Serbia to initial a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA, but blocked a similar move for Bosnia and Herzegovina because of its politicians' failure to agree on reforming the police.
Bosnian Serb officials welcomed the EU's decision as a breakthrough for Serbia, while also providing additional motivation for Bosnia to speed up its own reform agenda.
However, the EU's move was denounced by Bosniak (Muslim) politicians, including Haris Silajdzic, the Bosniak member of Bosnia's three-member Presidency.
“I hope that the Serbian leadership will not understand this as a reward for their role in aggression, war crimes and genocide, which was confirmed by the International Court of Justice, and for their ignoring of that ruling,” Silajdzic said.
Silajdzic's remarks were a reference to the Court's ruling earlier this year which held Serbia responsible for failing to try to stop genocide in Bosnia during the war of 1992-95, and for its more recent lack of results in apprehending the most prominent war crimes suspects.
Silajdzic stressed that the EU was reluctant to accept progress in police reform in Bosnia, while at the same time it rewarded Serbia, even though leading Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic remained in hiding.
Bosniak leaders portrayed the the decision on Serbia as a move to appease Belgrade and make it easier for Serbia's leaders to accept a decision on Kosovo's status that may not go in their favour.
The current phase of internationally-mediated talks on Kosovo's future is due to end by December 10.
Bosniak media reactions were coloured by references to the war in Bosnia in which the Muslim population suffered by far the most casualties.
A comment in the Dnevni Avaz newspaper was headlined, “Reward for Belgrade, Quarantine for the Victims.”
However, other Bosnian political analysts argued that while the EU’s decision on initialling an SAA with Serbia was aimed at softening Belgrade's position on Kosovo, Bosnia's own politicians were themselves responsible for their failure to secure a similar deal because of their bickering over police reform.
“Ultimately, the blame is on Bosnian voters who keep voting for the same politicians, although they [the politicians] keep disappointing them”, said Gordana Katana, analyst for the daily Oslobodjenje.
“You voted for them, now this is what you get,” Katana said.