Intellectuals warn: US and Brussels' disagreements over OHR are reflected on BiH, voice of citizens need to be heard

Kulenovic: American pragmatism causes concern

"Nominally, the USA wants a high representative who will deal with state property, because without that there is no Southern Interconnection. But our concern is about the model of that solution, which, due to pragmatism, could call into question the territorial integrity and wholeness of the state. Even more than a doubt: will today's energy dependence depend on Russia and Serbia, and tomorrow on America and Croatia? American abandonment of building modern nations is the reason for our greatest suspicion," said Kulenovic, referring to the energy projectstrongly supported by the US.

He believes that the EU wants to preserve European influence, and "the loss of the OHR means the loss of leverage."

"For us, it is more than that. Europe is not only our natural soil, it is also the way out of a captured state and a collapsed society. Our six demands are not mere wishes, but rather assumptions for a realistic path from Dayton to Brussels," said Kulenovic.

Djidic: It is possible that new high rep will not be elected

Diplomat and publicist Fuad Djidic said that it is entirely possible that the new high representative will not be elected at the next PIC session.

According to him, the disagreements between the US and the countries of the European Union, or the E3 community, are not formal, they are strategic and geopolitical in nature.

"Time is too short to smooth over such deep differences. The EU is showing a willingness to take matters into its own hands. France, Germany and Britain, the E3 countries, demonstrated a well-coordinated performance in Sarajevo at the last PIC session. With their unified positions, they increased the pressure on the US," Djidic assessed.

He added that the E3 countries, especially after the Tivat Summit on June 5, will not change their positions so easily regarding the fate of the OHR in BiH.

Zornic: Washington-Brussels conflict is reflected on BiH

Appellant before the European Court of Human Rights, Azra Zornic, believes that state property in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains one of the most difficult political issues.

"Although the Constitutional Court said that the state of BiH is the titular owner of that property, the entities and other levels of government continue to use it. They can only do so under a law that must be adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, which should clearly state who owns what and what can be done with that property, and how the entities and other levels of government can dispose of it and use it exclusively on the basis of a law that clearly delimits who owns it, what is possession, use, and disposal," she said.

She added that while we are struggling with internal reforms, external factors are conflicting.

"The rift between Washington and Brussels is becoming increasingly obvious, and their conflicts over the future of the OHR are once again, to our detriment, being reflected on Bosnia and Herzegovina," believes Zornic.

She pointed out that international representatives must come to an agreement and give up maximalist positions.

"The United States sees Bosnia as a key point for suppressing foreign interests such as those from Russia and China, so they insist on a strong OHR that will, according to their logic, 'take matters into its own hands' and stop the decline of the state, not caring too much about formal sovereignty. On the other hand, Europe is making its own calculations, fearing that too strong action will provoke open conflict and instability on its borders, so it prefers to choose diplomatic compromises and a 'softer' approach, even if it means that the process is actually frozen. These geopolitical games of the West, in which the outcome is more important than the people, could be disastrous for us," Zornic warned.

The geopolitical games of West can be dangerous

Association member Sahudin Kacar said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a country of projects. It is a continuity of 1,000 years of existence.

"Also, this is a historical and cultural continuity that the citizens of BiH need to express through their reaction, in their own way, and to be a voice that will be heard, together with these voices that are heard from European and American capitals where today the status of the OHR and the High Representative is being decided, who, according to the role that belongs to him under the Dayton Peace Agreement, should remove the barriers for BiH to finally become an equal member of the EU of civic orientations, which we want to join with all our being," he underlined