It is important that constitutional reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina be executed based on the principles of the Dayton Agreement, said a Vietnamese representative to the United Nations Security Council.

At a UNSC session on Bosnia and Herzegovina in New York on May 19, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Ambassador Bui The Giang applauded progress made in the Southeastern European country over the past six months in political, socio-economic and legal development.

He noted the efforts to further stabilise the political and security situation, including agreement among the ruling parties on police reforms and passage of police-reform laws, the decision of Political Directors of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board to give priority to entrenchment of the rule of law and better co-ordination and unity of parties involved in the co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

However, the Vietnamese diplomat voiced concern about renewed tensions among political figures over the future constitutional make-up of the country and the role and competencies of the State. He also cautioned about statements calling for secession, which represent a major challenge to the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement which guarantees sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ambassador Giang called upon the parties to work together in reconciliatory spirit and continue their patient search for a mutually acceptable solution towards a multi-ethnic State, with guaranteed rights for the Bosnians, Serbs and Croats living there.

Bosnia and Herzegovina leaders should make concerted efforts to facilitate the return of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their pre-war homes with the assurances that their basic needs would be met and to ensure dignified and long-term living conditions for those unable to return due to one reason or another, Giang said.

The ambassador commended the international community’s assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s regional and international integration process.

“We also commend the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union for their important roles in and significant contributions to promoting peace, security and development of the country. All these combined have proved essential not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but for the Balkan and Europe as a whole,” he said. (VNA)