Overview
Fourteen years since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords which brought an end to the hostilities and began the transition to peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Balkans remains a critical region for U.S. foreign policy and security interests. BiH is still struggling to overcome the effects of war. Physically, the country is largely rebuilt and shows signs of economic growth. After extensive negotiations, the European Union (EU) signed a Stabilization and Association agreement with BiH in 2008, the first step in the process of becoming a candidate for EU membership. However, ethnic tensions and a largely dysfunctional, multi-layered governance structure geared toward safeguarding the rights of the various ethnic groups still hinder development. Reforms, such as establishing strong state-level institutions, privatizing state-owned industry, fighting corruption, and making meaningful progress in the rule of law, require continued effort. To date, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided over $1 billion in assistance to support economic, democratic, and social progress in BiH.
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