The European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, arrived in Sarajevo suddenly on Thursday evening.
On Friday she is scheduled to hold talks with top Bosnia and Herzegovina officials and leaders of some political parties.
Upon arriving to Sarajevo, Ashton held talks with the international community's High Representative, Valentin Inzko. The talks were held behind closed doors.
Later today she is expected to meet the leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), ZLatko Lagumdzija and Sulejman Tihic.
After that she is scheduled to travel to Banja Luka and hold talks with the Republika Srpska President, Milorad Dodik.
The European Union confirms its strong commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European prospects and its progress on that path, with formed governments at all levels and institutions that are functioning, notably at the state level. We want outstanding issues to be resolved and necessary reforms implemented. We are prepared to help Bosnia and Herzegovina move forward, Ashton said ahead of her visit to Bosnia.
Ashton’s visit comes at the time when the country has not yet formed the state-level government , although the parliamentary elections were held more than seven months ago. At the moment, the main stumble bloc in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Republika Srpska’s decision to hold a referendum challenging the existence of Bosnia's State Court and Office of the Prosecutor.
The Bosnian Serb authorities were given seven days days to withdraw their decision to implement the referendum, otherwise the decision will be annulled by High Representative Inzko.
