Key facts
- The US and European nations are divided over the appointment of the next high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- The US is advocating for Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi, while European countries support French envoy René Troccaz.
- US officials have demanded the immediate departure of the current high representative, Christian Schmidt.
- The US push is suspected to be linked to a $1 billion gas pipeline contract awarded to a US company with connections to Donald Trump.
- The US has threatened to withdraw its involvement in Bosnia if its preferred candidate is not appointed.
A significant diplomatic rift has emerged between the United States and European nations over the appointment of the next high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a powerful international post crucial for the country's stability. Envoys from the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, the EU, Canada, Japan, and Turkey are scheduled to meet in Sarajevo to attempt to resolve this deep disagreement.
The US administration, under Donald Trump, is assertively pushing for a business-driven agenda, which critics fear could undermine Bosnia's delicate postwar political balance. US officials have demanded the immediate departure of the current high representative, Christian Schmidt, and are campaigning for 76-year-old Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi to replace him. This move has bewildered many members of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) steering board, as Landi has no significant prior experience or knowledge of Bosnia.
European officials suspect the US maneuvering is closely tied to a $1 billion gas pipeline contract, the Southern Interconnection, provisionally awarded to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a US-based company with strong connections to the Trump administration. This pipeline deal was awarded without tender, drawing warnings from the EU that it could jeopardize Bosnia's European integration.
London, France, and Berlin remain unconvinced by Landi's candidacy and are aligned behind a French candidate, René Troccaz. The US has threatened to reconsider its role in Bosnia if Landi is not appointed, creating a tense standoff. The outcome of Tuesday's meeting is critical, as the office of the high representative plays a vital role in overseeing the Dayton peace agreement and guiding Bosnia towards greater ethnic integration, a mission that has largely struggled amid persistent divisions.