Vice President Biden's Visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina

[Press release from the Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina, released today.]

The Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) would like to wish Vice President Joseph Biden a pleasant and productive trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.The trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina signals a shift of U.S. foreign policy towards the Balkan region and the importance of a sustained U.S. partnership with the European Union (EU). It also emphasizes the U.S. re-engagement in the Balkans, which is of vital importance given the impasse in political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The partial and stagnant implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, an agreement which brought an end to the war in Bosnia, has compromised the country's long-term viability as a democratic, functional, and self-sustaining state. Furthermore, the ethno-territorial division institutionally reinforced through the two entities, Republika Srpska (RS) and the Bosniak-Croat Federation, is incapacitating Bosnia's development in areas such as security, the economy, democratic governance and the rule of law. As a result, Bosnia is not capable of meeting its international obligations and requirements for integration into the EU and NATO, as its neighbors prepare for full accession. Thus, stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina is crucial for the overall stability of the region in Southeast Europe.

We hope that this trip will not only strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and the Balkans, but that it will signify an end to the political instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We remain indebted to Vice President Biden for his relentless dedication to human rights and for the honorable positions he has taken during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. We trust that this trip will bring positive influence in terms of reforming the impracticality of political governance, which the Dayton Peace Accords bestowed upon Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BAACBH, formed in 2005, is a Washington, D.C. - based non-profit, non-governmental and non-partisan organization dedicated to advocating for Bosnian-Americans living in the United States and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and initiating educational and developmental programs.