Strasbourg - Foreign Minister Anže Logar raised concern about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina as he addressed the European Parliament on Tuesday evening. Logar expects the country's political leaders to refrain from divisive rhetoric and actions and commit to reforms. MEPs also expressed concern about the developments.

Logar, who took part in the Parliament's debate on the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina on behalf of the Council of the EU, called on the country's political leaders to give up provocative and divisive rhetoric and actions, including such that undermine the country's territorial integrity.

"I expect from politicians in Bosnia-Herzegovina to refrain in future from words and actions that contribute only to fuelling the political crisis," he said, urging them to commit to the promotion of reconciliation and reforms that would facilitate the country's EU accession process.

"Revisionism, particularly minimising or even denying genocide and glorifying war criminals, is fundamentally contrary to EU values and incompatible with membership in the European Union," he said in his role as Slovenia's high representative of the Council in the Parliament during the Slovenian EU presidency.

Logar highlighted a strong and long-standing commitment to the European perspective of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a united and sovereign country.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis underlined the Commission's willingness to help in the efforts to de-escalate the situation and restore dialogue. To this end, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi will visit Bosnia-Herzegovina today, he added.

MEPs raised concern about the situation as well, advocating the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

They warned about a repeat of the 1990s events with a number of them calling for sanctions against those responsible for fuelling tension.

They also expect a more determined condemnation of Milorad Dodik's moves and a more active role of the EU. Dodik, the Serbian member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, has been raising concern with his separatist aspirations and divisive rhetoric.

Portugal's MEP Pedro Marques (S&D) said that the EU should not be silent on this, urging the bloc to use all the instruments at its disposal, including pressure and sanctions, to preserve Bosnia-Herzegovina's integrity, unity and peace.

Slovenian MEP Klemen Grošelj (Renew) warned that threats by Bosnian Serb separatists did not only put at risk the country and the region's peace and stability but also constituted a direct threat to the EU and its interests. He also mentioned a possibility of sanctions.

MEP Tonino Picula from Croatia (S&D) said that the current phase of Bosnia-Herzegovina's destabilisation supported by Serbia, Russia and also Hungary could have grave consequences for the stability of the region.