Associations gathering the Bosnia and Herzegovina Diaspora in the United States have addressed State Secretary Antony Blinken, expressing “grave concerns” over the nomination of German candidate Christian Schmidt for the role of the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, warning that the German “will only distance the country from its rightful place within the community of Western democracies.”

The letter addressed to the State Department's State Secretary Office, signed by Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniak American Association of Iowa, Bosnian American Genocide Institute and Community of Bosniaks Georgia, has stressed it is “imperative that any future High Representative must enter the office with a clear pro-reform and pro-Euro-Atlantic agenda – in line with the decisions of BiH’s own parliament – and a clear formula for delivering on these objectives.”

According to the associations’ representatives, the German candidate does not meet the criteria.

“As representatives of the Bosnian American diaspora across the United States, we do not believe that Schmidt has demonstrated the vision, capacity, or the willingness to advance credible reform-oriented politics for BiH. By seeking to appease the forces of segregation and secessionists in BiH – and their benefactors in Zagreb, Belgrade, and Moscow – Schmidt will only distance the country from its rightful place within the community of Western democracies,” they warned.

The Diaspora associations also expressed concern over the allegations that Schmidt and his superiors in Berlin first sought to win the support of the Kremlin for his nomination, even before the acquiescence of the NATO Quint.

“Russia represents a direct threat to BiH’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We categorically reject any attempt to appease Vladimir Putin at the expense of the legitimate democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the majority of the Bosnian population. By supporting Schmidt, the U.S. would allow Putin to further encroach into the region. It is also alarming that Schmidt’s political party – the Christian Social Union (CSU) – is a very vocal supporter of the Croatian HDZ, a far right party with a large anti-Semitic base in Croatia and BiH. In fact, Schmidt received the Order of Ante Starcevic by the HDZ, an award that was also given to individuals that were accused and convicted of war crimes,” the associations recalled.

Schmidt's official nomination was confirmed in late January. If appointed, he would replace Austrian Valentin Inzko who has been performing the duty since March 2009. The OHR was initially established in 1995 to oversee the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a treaty that ended the Bosnian 1992-95 war and which contains the country's Constitution.

The High Representative also has special powers to impose laws and dismiss officials, and is the final interpreter of the BiH Constitution. The Peace Implementation Council, an international body, will have a final say on when the conditions for the OHR closure have been met.

In a letter they addressed to the US State Secretary, the Diaspora associations expressed gratitude for the US being BiH's “foremost friend and ally,” noting that significant progress has been made in the country since the end of the war but not sufficient to close the international envoy's office.

“The Bosnian American diaspora is especially appreciative of President Biden’s leadership in helping end the genocide and ethnic cleansing of BiH’s non-Serb population. While significant progress has been made since the end of the war, the Office of the High Representative remains a critical institutional pillar in BiH’s democratic transformation. This important role must be occupied by an individual who understands the power and responsibility of the office, and by someone who is willing to use it to deliver a just, equitable and accountable constitutional regime for all Bosnians,” they emphasised, adding that they do believe “Christian Schmidt is not that person.”

“Above all, we expect clarity on how the OHR will deal with those who undermine the rule of law and continue to endanger the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH. Any High Representative who is unwilling to forcefully defend the central objective of the Dayton Peace Accords – the preservation of BiH’s statehood – including via the Bonn Powers, is ineligible for the position,” concludes the letter sent to US State Secretary.

Finally, the associations said they too envision the post-OHR BiH but only after the conditions for that have been met and BiH is a “full-fledged member of the Euro-Atlantic community.”