Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, misused the platform at the United Nations General Assembly, heavily accusing Serbia of threatening the territorial integrity of BiH. Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević responded by stating that it is, in fact, politicians from Sarajevo who challenge Serbia’s territorial integrity with their intent to recognize so-called Kosovo, while Serbia respects Bosnia and Herzegovina. The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, reiterated that Bećirović violated the Constitution of BiH by expressing anti-Serb views.
Bosniak politicians persist in the narrative that Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Serbs are the cause of all problems, leaving little else but to blame them for global warming. Following Elmedin Konaković, Denis Bećirović used the worn-out Austro-Hungarian narrative of the specter of “Greater Serbia.” From the UN General Assembly podium, under the guise of good neighborly relations, he accused the official government in Belgrade of undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH.
“Serbia’s expansionist aspirations are the fundamental reason why BiH and the Western Balkans are exposed to new dangers. One of the proofs is the destructive Declaration of the so-called All-Serb Assembly. This is a dangerous, expansionist document that threatens the Dayton Peace Agreement and BiH,” stated Denis Bećirović, Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić responded that the accusations made by Denis Bećirović at the UN General Assembly are blatant lies and a dangerous game played by Sarajevo.
“Bećirović’s speech was poorly received by all serious figures in the world. No major players believe the ‘liars from Sarajevo.’ Even the Bosniaks in Sarajevo don’t believe Bećirović’s story that Serbia is threatening BiH’s territorial integrity. These are not Bećirović’s first accusations, and he seems to think this is his last chance to turn the world against Serbia,” Vučić emphasized.
Serbia respects the Dayton Peace Agreement, which it signed, the territorial integrity of BiH, and Republika Srpska within it, with which it maintains fraternal relations, said the Serbian Prime Minister. The problem, he noted, is that there are those in BiH who would gladly recognize the statehood of so-called Kosovo, something that the firm stance of Republika Srpska prevents.
“Serbia does not question the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH, but BiH questions our territorial integrity, taking away part of our territory, I’m referring to Kosovo and Metohija. We only ask for the same treatment we give to other countries; we expect the same respect toward Serbia,” stated Miloš Vučević, Serbian Prime Minister.
Denis Bećirović’s disgraceful address at the UN, delivered in poor English and filled with anti-Serb rhetoric, may resonate in the Sarajevo media and among some Bosniaks. However, in Republika Srpska and Serbia, it has been perceived as confirmation of the importance of the All-Serb Assembly Declaration for the survival of Serbs on both sides of the Drina River, rather than the expansionist project that Bećirović claims threatens Dayton and BiH.
“Those who read superficially will always attack it. I believe this Declaration is a firmer document than the Dayton Agreement,” said Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska.
Željka Cvijanović, the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, emphasized that Bećirović did not speak on behalf of the Presidency.
“Denis Bećirović spoke at the UN exclusively in his capacity as the Bosniak member of the Presidency, not on behalf of BiH. He has once again proven to be an ordinary Serb-hater. With such statements, he persistently poisons relations within BiH and with neighboring countries,” stated Cvijanović.
The outbursts of overly passionate Bosniak politicians will not return the region to the 1990s or shake Serbia’s international position. Nevertheless, through its diplomatic mission, the official Belgrade sent letters to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly in response to the lies and malicious accusations against Serbia and the Serb people.
“We really didn’t expect anything smarter from Denis Bećirović than for him to disgrace his country in front of the world. He was not authorized by the Presidency for such an anti-Serb speech at the UN. His platform is, in fact, war-mongering, nationalist, and aimed at dragging the region back into the past,” said Marko Đurić, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Bećirović’s speech was full of insinuations and lies about Serbia’s supposed expansionist ambitions or NATO integration as a non-existent foreign policy goal for BiH, said Staša Košarac, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Minister Nenad Nešić emphasized that it is sad that even 30 years after the war, Bećirović harbors such hatred towards Serbia.
“Empty words aimed at raising tensions in BiH and portraying Serbia as the main culprit in the region. The Serb people are a factor of peace and stability, regardless of Denis Bećirović’s statements, which reveal him as an ordinary warmonger,” Nešić stressed.
During his 13-minute address, in addition to his overtly anti-Serb views, Denis Bećirović presented numerous falsehoods, including claims of alleged aggression against BiH. However, he failed to explain how Serbs could be aggressors on their own properties and homes. He accused Russia of aggression and supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity, while at the same time, he would gladly support Kosovo’s independence. His claims about Bosnia’s thousand-year history and statehood continuity hold no water, as the current BiH was established in Dayton in 1995.
Source: RTRS
