Bosnia’s political leaders should stop diverting attention from necessary reforms with inflammatory statements, the Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy in the country told N1 on Wednesday, adding neither of BiH’s two semi-autonomous entities has a future outside of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The citizens of BiH deserve more from their leaders than disruptive actions with the aim of diverting attention from initiating priority economic and electoral reforms, as well as reforms in the area of rule of law which would help this country move forward,” the Office said, adding that inflammatory rhetoric that mentions of war and secessionism is “dangerous, irresponsible and unacceptable.”

The statement comes in light of a tense atmosphere among political leaders in Bosnia which emerged after Slovenian media published an alleged ‘non-paper’ containing ideas for redrawing borders in the Western Balkans – which includes annexing

The document, published by the Slovenian news portal necenzurirano.si, proposes Kosovo joining Albania and Serbia annexing parts of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) entity, while the mostly Croat-populated parts of southern Bosnia and Herzegovina would become part of Croatia.

While the Bosniak and Bosnian Croat members of the tripartite Presidency in BiH said implementing the ideas of the document would certainly lead to a war, their Serb colleague and current Chairman of the institution said a “peaceful separation” of Bosnia’s two semi-autonomous entities is the only option in the long run.

“As for the status of BiH as a state, it is not opinions that matter, but the facts and international law. The territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH are guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement,” The US Embassy’s Public Affairs Office said, adding that neither the Dayton Agreement nor Bosnia’s Constitution allows for Bosnia’s entities to secede.

“Any action aimed at dismantling BiH is a violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Neither entity has a future outside of BiH,” it said.

The position of the United States is clear regarding the Dayton Peace Agreement and Bosnia’s future, it said.

“We are committed to the principles of the Dayton Agreement – Bosnia and Herzegovina is a democratic, multiethnic, sovereign and independent state with unquestionable territorial integrity,” it said.