U.S. Urges Bosnians To Strengthen The Common State

12 October 2005 -- A U.S. official today urged Bosnia-Herzegovina's Muslim, Serb, and Croat leaders to replace the three-man, interethnic presidency with a single president and to strengthen the role of the joint prime minister and parliament.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said he expected a strong commitment on these reforms by the time Balkan leaders visit the U.S. next month for the 10th anniversary of Bosnia's Dayton peace treaty.

Burns spoke in Sarajevo at the start of a Balkan tour. Bosnia is made up of the Bosnian Serb republic -- Republika Srpska -- and the Muslim-Croat federation.

(Reuters)