Outgoing U.K. Ambassador Edward Fergusson told N1 that he had hoped Bosnia would have been an EU candidate by the time he leaves the country but that some progress was achieved nevertheless.

Analyzing his mandate, Fergusson said he will remember Bosnia for its beauty and its warm people.  

“I’ve got so many memories, it's going to be really hard to filter them,” Ferguson said. “I have had a great opportunity to explore this country and it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Wherever you go, there is so much history, people are so warm, fun, full of humour. I will have the best memories.”

Ferguson has earlier this month received an award after being named best ambassador of the year.  

“It’s incredibly nice to be recognised. I see it as something for my whole team,” he said. “Looking back at these past four years, we achieved some important things. It was a time full of obligations and developments.”  

Ferguson also spoke of things that left him disappointed, such as the failure of a British-German initiative for Bosnia to get EU candidate status, saying “we have not achieved this.”

“Some progress was achieved, but not enough. Generally, what we hoped for is that the political focus turns to very concrete and practical issues to improve the standard of life, to open up employment opportunities for young people (…),” he said adding that he hoped there would be less “political discussions.”

This was achieved for a while, he said, but in the last two years, politics became the centre of discussion again.  

“We paid the price in the sense that this country’s progress was slowed. The October election ahead of us is a chance for a new strong energy to emerge again,” he said, adding that “Bosnia cannot afford to lose any more time, the neighbours are going forward, and Bosnia must keep up.”

“We are ready to help as much as we can. The leaders have to work together, and not against each other, and bring this country forward,” he said.  

Ferguson pointed out that there is an increasing concern for the entire Western Balkan region.  

“History teaches us that when all of the Balkans are stable and safe, Europe is stable and safe as well,” he said.  

The Ambassador also commented on the arrival of British military personnel in Bosnia, which Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said are spies sent to the country to work against the Government of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated part, Republika Srpska (RS).  

The truth is “much more boring,” he said, explaining that the soldiers are coming as part of EUFOR, the European peacekeeping force with a UN mandate.  

“We volunteered to provide personnel for the first six months, I expect that other countries will provide personnel to replace ours after these six months. Those are not British forces, it is the British contribution to EUFOR,” he explained. 

The allegations that the Brits coming to Bosnia are spies is “nonsense” which can only be heard now as the election is coming closer, he said.

Ferguson also spoke about Bosnia’s failure to change its Election Law, an issue that has been plaguing the country for years and is now jeopardizing the implementation of the 2018 election results.

Political leaders still being unable to find a solution is “disappointing2, he said.  

“This country does not need a post-election crisis because there is no legal basis to form a government. We cannot afford to lose any more time. It is truly up to the leaders to show responsibility and lead, and serious negotiations are necessary for this,” he said.