NATO Remains Obstacle to Bosnia Forming New Government

Chairman of Bosnian Presidency Milorad Dodik (R) and Member of Bosnian Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic (L) Caption, Photo: EPA/Fehim Demir

Leaders of the three main parties in Bosnia, the Party of Democratic Action SDA, the Alliance of the Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, and the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, on Wednesday made progress on trying to resolve their deadlock on forming a new government - but said disagreements over NATO remained an obstacle.

The country held legislative elections in October last year.

According to the latest deal, the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers, the new state prime minister, in effect, will be a Bosnian Serb and the Serbian, Croat and Bosniak parties will get three ministries each.

"The HDZ is partially satisfied as we received Finance, Civilian Affairs and Justice - which is something that can put us on track towards a compromise," HDZ leader Dragan Covic told the media after the meeting.

Bosniaks will get the Foreign, Security and Defence ministries.

The Serbs, beside having the post of Chairman, will have Human Rights and Refugees, Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and Transport and Communications.

The main cause of disagreement remains over activating the country's NATO Membership Action Plan, MAP, an essential step toward Bosnian accession to NATO.

Bosnian Serb leaders are against membership of the alliance, while Bosniak and Bosnian Croat politicians support it.

Bakir Izetbegovic, of the SDA, said the dispute over NATO remained a big stumbling block.

"We did not manage to agree on that. We also do not see that it is possible to appoint a candidate for the Chairman [of the Council of Ministers] who will question Bosnia's commitment when NATO is at stake,"...