US' commitment to Bosnia's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and multiethnic character and its integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions has never been stronger, US Ambassador Michael Murphy said on Wednesday evening in Sarajevo at a formal reception marking America's Independence Day on July 4.

In his speech, he warned that “there are political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina who are seeking to tear down what we have built together; who are attacking the fundamental rights and freedoms of their constituents; who are prioritizing their corrupt interests over the prosperity of the people they claim to represent; who are tearing at the fabric of BiH society by engaging in the politics of division rather than seeking to heal the wounds of the past; and who are bent on ripping up the Dayton Peace Agreement.”

“This puts at risk BiH’s security and stability as well as the opportunity provided to the citizens of this country by the EU’s decision to open accession negotiations with BiH. We were here to help rebuild Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we will not allow anyone to destroy or dismantle it,” the Ambassador added.

He said that he was proud of the work that his team in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar had done in order to give this policy a concrete, tangible meaning for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

” I pledge that we will continue to work tirelessly to build a future where every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina can thrive, and to stand against the numerous challenges the country faces right now. Bosnia and Herzegovina has no greater friend and no more committed partner than the United States of America,” Murphy concluded.