The United States supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the equality of all peoples under the Dayton Peace Agreement, and encourages the B&H authorities to continue their efforts for membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to the US Senate resolution, exclusively „Dnevni avaz“ finds out.
The highest U.S. legislature passed a resolution marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Accords proposed by Ohio Senator Sharrod Brown.
The resolution comes at a time when increased US engagement in the region, especially in B&H, is expected, after Joe Biden won the presidential election.
The resolution states that the agreement "ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and brought peace." It was pointed out, among other things, that "ethnic cleansing and concentration camps were used as a means of war against Bosniak men, women and children, culminating in the July 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, where 8,000 young men and men were detained and killed."
"Since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been working in partnership with the international community to build a peaceful and democratic society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and the free market - it is stated in the resolution which also recognizes NATO, whose air campaign enabled the signing of the Peace Agreement.
The US Senate very precisely emphasizes the priorities for B&H:
- We urge the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the constitutional reforms needed for reconciliation in order to seek empathy and respect as a basis for building a common future, and encourages the United States to work closely with the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina - especially those - to support the full implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and the Balkan states, which requires regional cooperation - the resolution states, among other things.
Also, the resolution recognizes the special role of American diplomats in reaching the Peace Agreement and mentions all its signatories. However, the resolution provides guidelines for further US engagement in B&H.
We reaffirm the shared commitment of the United States and the EU to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law throughout the world. It welcomes the commitment of the government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to peace and cooperation 25 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, and urges the B&H government to continue to make progress in resolving its constitutional issues and improving its economic policy as it advances towards NATO and EU membership.
