Bosnia’s citizens are not as divided as their political leaders portray them to be, and any attempt to weaken the state or the rule of law in the country leads to instability in the region, US Senator Roger Wicker said after meeting with the members of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency.

Accompanied by a delegation of US Congress representatives, Wicker, who is acting Chairman of the US Congressional Security and Co-operation Commission, told reporters Bosnia needs to change urgently in order to make further progress toward the European Union and NATO.

“Bosnia cannot continue its Euro-Atlantic integration process in this way. We call upon all diplomatic representatives to prevent the weakening of the rule of law and human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina as we would not like to see that anywhere else in the world,” he said, warning that those who are working against the rule of law in the country must face “harsh sanctions”, including travel bans and the blocking of resources.

“Also, we must work together with Bosnia’s leaders on fighting foreign influences in the country, as this can make it even more unstable,” he said.

Bosnia faces the problem of an inefficient government, which is why the country is stalling, he said.

“Any attempt to weaken the state institutions and calls for the secession or establishment of a third entity breaches the spirit of the Dayton Peace Treaty. This also endangers the stability of Bosnia and the entire region,” he said.

One of the key issues that Bosnia must solve, the Senator said, was the discriminatory rule that bars members of some ethnic groups, including minorities, from running for certain public offices in certain parts of the country.

Wicker said the US Congress Delegation advocated for the immediate implementation of electoral reform in the country.

“The divisions between the people are not as deep as the political leaders portray them to be. They are just using them to remain in power,” Wicker said, advocating for political actors in the country to prioritize the fight against corruption and organised crime.

“Those two areas, as well as the area of an independent justice system, should be the main issues of the upcoming election campaign,” he said, referring to the general election in Bosnia in October.

The Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives to the US Congress has in May approved the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 2019, which includes a section calling for the Department of Defense to continue increasing “military-to-military cooperation and engagements” in the Western Balkans region.

Wicker said that this was done because of the importance of US cooperation with Bosnia and other regional actors, but also because of threats coming from Russia, adding that the US administration is continuing to investigate Russia’s influence and to monitor the country's behaviour regarding possible involvement in the electoral processes in the region, as well as in the world.