UN SECURITY COUNCIL URGES BOSNIA TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP

NEW YORK, USA (November 22,2007) - The UN Security Council reiterated yesterday its support of the Dayton peace agreement ending the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia, but said the Bosnian leadership has failed to make progress in its implementation, including integration with the European Union.

The UN Security Council said the Bosnia has so far made "limited progress" toward joining the EU after completing the Stabilization and Association Agreement, a major step for EU accession. The document has not been signed in the past year.

The UN Security Council reminded the Bosnian Presidency that the 1995 Dayton agreement called for full cooperation with all parties involved in the agreement.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had informed the UN Security Council of political turmoil in Bosnia.

"There has been almost no progress in addressing the reform agenda, and Bosnia has moved no closer to initialing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU," the report said.

"This is despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the Bosnian citizens wish to see progress with regard to the relationship with the EU," it said.

The 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia ended in 1995 with the Dayton peace agreement endorsed by the UN. The UN initially administered the country and the responsibility has since shifted to the European Union.