America will not be the one to save Bosnia and Herzegovina but its citizens must take over the responsibility, said Ajla Delkic, the President of the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a non-governmental body promoting the interests of Bosnian Americans and advocating a multi-ethnic and democratic country.

Speaking for N1’s Newsroom, Delkic said that lobbying against Bosnia in the United States is “open and transparent.” According to her, it comes from Bosnia’s Serb-run semi-autonomous part.

“The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and Republika Srpska have been lobbying against Bosnia and Herzegovina for long. Over the past ten years, they spent 30 million on lobbying,” according to Delkic.

Bosnia has to rely on its own citizens, she added.

“America’s engagement has always been strong in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They (the States) stopped the war and are Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest friend,” she said, pointing out that, nevertheless, the citizens of Bosnia and not the US must be the ones to save the country. “They must take over the responsibility for the country and that won’t come from outside.”

Delkic expects “good things” from new US Ambassador to Bosnia Eric Nelson. According to her, the outgoing ambassador Maureen Cormack did “a good job.”