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Dutchman top candidate to succeed Ashdown in Bosnia
10.10.2005 - 09:58 CET | By Mark Beunderman

Dutch carreer diplomat Michiel Patijn has a good chance to succeed Paddy Ashdown as the EU’s special representative in Bosnia, according to Dutch media.

On the basis of senior sources in the Dutch foreign ministry, Dutch weekly Vrij Nederland reports that Mr Patijn, who just stepped down as Dutch ambassador with NATO, is set to succeed Mr Ashdown.

But according to NRC Handelsblad, Czech and Italian candidates are also in the running for the post.

Mr Patijn, a liberal like Mr Ashdown, has been a Dutch state secretary for European affairs, as well as a top official at The Hague’s defence ministry.

Mr Ashdown’s job combines the function of EU special representative with that of High Representative of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The post was installed as part of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, and involves wide-ranging competencies including the possible blocking of Bosnian legislation as well as the sacking of high Bosnian officials, including ministers.

Mr Ashdown is said to have recently exerted strong pressure on the Bosnian Serb leadership to accept a key police reform necessary for Bosnia to begin talks on a preliminary Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Brussels.

The parliament of the Republika Srpska, the ethnic Serb entity within Bosnia-Herzegovina, last week by a large majority adopted the controversial police reform, which it had by an equally large majority rejected three weeks ago.

Bosnia is now set to follow the EU path of Croatia, which last week started EU accession talks, and of Serbia, which opened SAA talks in September.

© 2005 EUobserver

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