The US ambassador to Bosnia on Friday warned Serbs they would confront Washington if they leave Bosnia's central institutions in protest at moves to streamline their work.
"Continuing down this path of confrontation will bring a swift and strong reaction from the United States," ambassador Charles English told local media.
"It is their obligation to back away from an avoidable confrontation. We will view a decision to walk out of state institutions as unnecessary provocation," he added.
The row erupted last week when the international envoy to Bosnia, Miroslav Lajcak, decided to introduce measures to streamline central institutions and stop rival ethnic camps blocking new laws in the divided country.
The Bosnian Serb ruling Union of Independent Social-Democrats threatened to resign en masse blocking the work of the government unless Lajcak backs down from reform plans.
"A confrontation with the High Representative is a confrontation with the United States," stressed English.
Since its 1992-1995 war, Bosnia has consisted of two entities -- Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation. Linked by weak central institutions, each has its own government, parliament and police.
The weaker central government has nine ministers and a prime minister and ministerial portfolios are equally distributed between the main ethnic groups -- Croats, Muslims and Serbs.
Presence of at least one representative of each community is required for adoption of laws.
Under Lajcak's proposals to avoid obstruction through absenteeism, it would be able to hold sessions in the presence of six ministers and operate with a simple majority.
The changes would allow Muslim and Croat ministers to submit certain motions to the parliament without the approval of their Serb counterparts who strongly oppose the strengthening of Bosnia's central institutions.
