Sarajevo has not looked this good since it hosted the winter Olympics in 1984. Most striking is the restoration of the Hotel Evropa, built in 1882 but left in ruins ever since it was gutted by Serb shells in 1992. Even gloomy Bosnians can see that Sarajevo has entered a new phase in its history. Most reconstruction after the 1992-95 war is over and many new buildings are going up, including one that is planned to be the tallest in the Balkans.rnTimes are changing in politics, too. A stabilisation agreement with the European Union has just come into force. It is a first step that should lead to eventual EU membership. The agreement, signed last month after Bosnia's politicians ended 18 months of political deadlock, marks what one weary diplomat calls "the end of the beginning". Bosnia won the deal only after its intransigent leaders wore down their EU partners into accepting a watered-down version of reform for Bosnia's police.
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