 RFE/RL Balkan Report 10/9/2009 5:47:02 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the countries of the western Balkans. For more stories on the Balkans, please visit and bookmark our Balkans page . |
 Lajcak: West Aware Of How Serious Situation Is The Office of the High Representative (OHR) has recently come under attack from Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serbian entity, the Republika Srpska, whose prime minister, Milorad Dodik, has threatened to withdraw from federal structures and says the OHR should be dissolved. Miroslav Lajcak, the foreign minister of Slovakia, served as the international community's high representative to Bosnia from 2007-09. He spoke to RFE/RL ahead of the talks. More  EU, U.S. Diplomats Seek To Ease Tensions EU and U.S. diplomats have urged Bosnian leaders to contain a spiraling political crisis that is raising tensions between the country's ethnic groups. The meeting at the EU's military base near Sarajevo underlined the seriousness with which the international community views what many see as a rapidly deteriorating situation in the fragile Balkan state. More  Can The West Stop Bosnia From Falling Apart? As Western officials prepare for talks with Bosnian Serb, Croat, and Muslim leaders, the mood in the country is growing more tense and fractious by the day. Many inside Bosnia say the West may be the only thing standing between the unstable country and a new war. More  A New Strategy For The Balkans? Clearly, Brussels needs to devote much more energy to the problems of the Balkans and it needs to be prepared to bring sticks to the table as well as carrots. The EU already has the instruments it needs -- it has a legal framework for making decisions and a police/military force to implement them. But over the years, EU action in Bosnia has consistently been too little and too late. More  EU, U.S. Announce Emergency Talks With Bosnia Instability in Bosnia-Herzegovina has prompted plans for an emergency visit by EU and U.S. officials next week. The latest political crisis in Bosnia has escalated rapidly since authorities in Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, threatened to pull out of federal government structures. More  Commentary: The Fragile Balkans Strong and undiminished national sentiments certainly constitute the biggest obstacle to long-term stability and prosperity in the western Balkans. The Kosovo issue is another stumbling block. More  Bosnia's Serb Republic Challenges The National Order Bosnia's Republika Srpska is threatening to withdraw its participation in the country's governing institutions unless the Office of the High Representative reverses a key decision. It's just the latest attempt by Banja Luka to shake off the international community. More  President Talks About Montenegro's Rocky Road Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic came to international prominence as something of a political wunderkind during the 1990s, when he served three consecutive terms. His kaleidoscopic political career has kept him at the center of Montenegrin events for nearly two decades -- from the breakup to the former Yugoslavia through Montenegro's 2006 referendum on independence and its current bid for membership of the European Union. He spoke recently with RFE/RL Executive Editor John O'Sullivan in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica, about his country's drive to reform, political courage, and life in Europe's toughest neighborhood. More  Serbian President Comes To The UN Serbian President Boris Tadic speaks at the UN General Assembly today as the world body marks the opening days of its 64th year in session. Tadic is expected to stress Serbia's desire to engage with the international community, particularly the West. But Belgrade still refuses to accept the independence of Kosovo, making Tadic's initiative a tough balancing act. More  Does Hartmann Conviction Send Wrong Message? Florence Hartmann, the former spokeswoman for The Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, this week was found guilty of publishing confidential court documents. The court said her actions put the work of the tribunal in peril. But Hartmann's supporters say the court is to blame for seeking to hide potential evidence linking Belgrade to war crimes in the Bosnian war. More |
