Solana: Time to move beyond Dayton Accord in Bosnia
Brussels, Nov 26, IRNA

European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana has admitted that Europe's failure to stop the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina cost thousands of lives and displaced two million people, mainly Muslims.

"The price of nationalist extremism and of our collective failure to end the fighting has been high: up to 150,000 deaths; 2 million refugees and displaced persons - nearly half the population - and a society torn apart," said Solana speaking at a conference in Brussels Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Dayton Accord that ended Bosnia's war.

The Dayton deal restored peace, said Solana, "but a peace that came late and that was full of painful compromises."
"My message today is that Dayton achieved what it was meant to do. But now we are entering a new phase. It is time to move beyond the Dayton set-up. The current system of government is unsustainable. To integrate itself progressively with the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina needs stronger state institutions," he said.

At the time of the Bosnia conflict, Solana was Spain's foreign minister. Later, as NATO chief, he overlooked the implementation of the military aspect of the Dayton Accord.

The Dayton talks culminated in the initialing on November 21, 1995 of a General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina that established Bosnia-Herzegovina as a union of two entities -- the Muslim-Croat federation and Bosnian Serb Republic.

"The Western Balkans are far from finished business. More than other regions, this is a European responsibility. We cannot afford to fail," said the EU foreign policy chief, who was speaking at the event organized by the Brussels-based think-tank -- the European Policy Centre.

Meanwhile, the EU began talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday on an accord to move the country closer to EU membership.