Lawmakers are working to improve the economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina as they recognize 20 years since the Dayton Accord ended the Bosnian War on Sunday.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced legislation last week to bolster the economies in the Balkan countries that have struggled in the wake of the armistice reached in November 1995 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
“Since the end of the Bosnian war 20 years ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina has traveled a long and difficult road towards peace and reconciliation,” Shaheen said in a statement. “This bill is an opportunity for the United States to step-up its efforts to promote stability in the region by providing much-needed financing to proven job-creators, while also opening up investment opportunities for American businesses.”
The bipartisan bill would establish an enterprise fund and provide about $30 million over 15 years to bring more American investors to the Bosnian and Herzegovinian economies.
Fighting in the Bosnian War lasted for more than three years as different ethnic religious groups disagreed over how they could live together. The conflict, one of the three Yugoslav Wars, was a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The area continues to be unstable and volatile, but has existed in relative peace for 20 years under the Dayton agreement, RT reported.
Former President Bill Clinton said he supported the legislation in a tweet earlier this week.
“20 yrs after Dayton, hopeful we can renew our focus on the future in Bosnia & empower hardworking entrepreneurs,” he wrote.
