Government formation and continued progress towards reforms that are consistent with existing foreign policy goals are crucial steps for the country and its future, embassies representing the US, UK, Germany, France and Italy in Bosnia said on Wednesday a day after the state Presidency failed to finalise the government formation process.

“The decision to postpone yesterday’s Presidency session underlines the need for compromise and consensus-building among BiH’s (Bosnia and Herzegovina’s) political parties and leaders,” the embassies said in a joint statement that was supported by the European Union’s (EU) Delegation and EU’s Special Representative in Sarajevo.

The Presidency’s Tuesday session was the second failed attempt of the collective head of state within one week to meet and appoint the prime minister-designate who would name the ministers in the state government.

Although the leaders of three strongest nationalist parties signed earlier this month an agreement that among other things stipulates the principles to form the government, the statements they gave in the following days showed the deal was not likely to be implemented within 30 days, as agreed.

The country’s road to NATO which was vaguely mentioned in the leaders’ agreement is a stumbling stone and has been preventing the government formation in the past ten months after the general election was held.

While the Bosniak and Croat representatives support the membership, the Serb political leadership is against it and is resolute in maintaining the stance on military neutrality.

The NATO issue is being “blown out of proportion” and the government formation is “the priority number one,” EU’s ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said earlier on Tuesday.

The five foreign embassies underlined the same.

“Government formation and continued progress towards reforms that are consistent with existing foreign policy goals and commitments, are crucial next steps for BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and its future. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to strong and effective state institutions and call upon all political leaders to fully respect and uphold the constitution and laws of BiH,” said the foreign representatives in Bosnia.