High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Schmidt Announces Resignation
Kyiv • UNN
Christian Schmidt is stepping down as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina after five years in office. He will remain in the role until a successor is appointed.
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, has decided to step down from the position he has held for nearly five years. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing a spokesperson for the Office of the High Representative and the Sarajevo-based publication Oslobođenje, according to UNN.
Details
Schmidt, a former German government minister and member of the Bundestag, stated that he will remain in office until a successor is appointed.
According to Oslobođenje, while announcing his decision, he urged the political leaders and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue reforms for further integration with Western countries.
Schmidt repeatedly clashed with Dodik
During his tenure, Schmidt repeatedly entered into conflicts with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who advocated for expanding the autonomy of Republika Srpska and threatened secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The position of High Representative was created following the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War. The agreement divided the country into Republika Srpska and a Muslim-Croat Federation, granting the international representative broad powers to oversee the implementation of the peace accords.
According to Oslobođenje, Schmidt has already informed the Peace Implementation Council, which consists of 55 states, of his decision. He is also expected to present a regular report on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN Security Council in the coming days.