High-ranking EU official Miroslav Lajcak has said in Sarajevo that the Republika Srpska (RS) parliament decision to call a referendum is a step in the wrong direction and the EU expects High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Valentin Inzko to show initiative and a plan on how to react to the situation.

Lajcak is set to meet with RS officials in Banja Luka on Friday and discuss the referendum. He thinks the decision to call it was irresponsible and bad and does not solve anything, but only opens new issues, spoils the atmosphere and trust in Bosnia-Herzegovina and obstructs EU integration.

This is not an issue for the EU, but for the Office of the High Representative, which should react, he underlined.

Bosnia-Herzegovina needs a government that would have the strength to lead the country towards the EU quicker, Lajcak noted.

He met with Bosniak member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina three-man presidency Bakir Izetbegovic in Sarajevo and talked over the RS referendum, among other things.