The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, will travel to Paris and Brussels next week to brief French and EU officials on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These visits form part of a series of consultations in advance of the next meeting of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) on 26 and 27 February in Brussels. The PIC is to review its decision to close the Office of the High Representative at the end of June at that meeting.

Tomorrow, Mr Schwarz-Schilling will be in Paris for meetings with senior French officials, including the Political Director and the Director for Continental Europe at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On Tuesday, he will hold talks in Brussels with Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, and other EU officials.

On Wednesday morning, he will meet with Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement.

Also on Wednesday, Mr Schwarz-Schilling will participate in a conference bringing together, for the first time, all nine EU Special Representatives active in different regions of the world. EU Special Representatives support the work of the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, and play a central part in promoting the interests and policies of the European Union in their respective countries.