International peace body fails to agree on Bosnia's new envoy

The international peace body overseeing Bosnia's peace process failed to agree on a candidate to replace Germany's Christian Schmidt, who resigned last month amid what he described as U.S. pressure. Schmidt said discussions would continue, and the Steering Board aims to select a consensus candidate in coming days with a transition by the end of June. The Steering Board includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, while Russia has suspended participation. Washington has backed Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi for the post, and Landi reportedly arrived in Sarajevo for the talks, but no agreement emerged. Analysts note that the High Representative role remains essential as long as Serb and Croat separatists block state functioning, a dynamic that threatens Bosnia's integrity.