To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 27 February 2009, Official Report, columns 34-36WS, on the General Affairs and External Relations Council, for what reasons the Council was unable to reach a conclusion on the proposed closure of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and what proposals the UK made on the matter. (261737)

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 23-24 February 2009, there was discussion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress towards meeting the conditions for closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR). There was no consensus that the conditionality set by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board in February 2008 had been met. The UK reiterated the importance of adhering to this conditionality, making clear our view that it has not yet been met. Any eventual decision on closure of the OHR will need to be taken by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board.