EU, US to resume Bosnia "constructive" talks

(SARAJEVO) - Bosnian leaders held "productive" talks Tuesday with EU and US officials on unblocking the political deadlock in the country, the top EU official at the meeting said.

But Bosnian Croat, Muslim and Serb leaders all voiced dissatisfaction with the reform package proposed by the EU and US side.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, referred to the talks as "rather productive discussions," though there was little hope of solving Bosnia's problems "in one go."

"No one has been under that sort of illusion but we will reconvene (Wednesday) and sum up some of the things early tomorrow morning," said Bildt, who co-chaired the meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg.

"There are issues for which I think there is a movement forward," he added.

Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik told journalists that the proposed reforms were "unacceptable even as a foundation for talks." Dodik said he did not "expect miracles" to happen on Wednesday.

Bosnian Croats have also said proposed changes were not favourable for their community and Muslims have labelled them as insufficient.

Officials did not elaborate on the content of the reform package, but according to local media reports they included notably the creation of a more streamlined parliament to prepare the country for EU membership.

The constitutional modifications envisage more than doubling the number of seats in the parliament's lower house from the current 42 to 87. The upper house would also grow from the 15 to 21 seats.

The role of the central government and its prime minister would be strengthened, while the tripartite presidency would consist of a president and two vice-presidents elected by the parliament instead of through a direct vote as is the case now.

The Sarajevo talks are the result of an initiative unexpectedly launched by both Brussels and Washington earlier this month.

The first gathering, in the Bosnian capital on October 9, ended without a deal.

If an agreement on necessary reforms is reached, it could pave the way for Bosnia to join NATO and win EU candidate status, the diplomats said.

Almost 14 years after the end of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war that claimed some 100,000 lives, the country remains riven by tensions between its Croats, Muslims and Serbs.

The dispute underlines deep divisions over how to run the country, with Serbs insisting on retaining autonomy while Muslims and Croats favour stronger central institutions.

Since the 1992-1995 war Bosnia consists of two semi-independent entities -- the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation -- linked by weak central institutions.