Russia strongly condemns Western efforts to remove the legal and legitimate President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, from the political scene through dishonest methods and calls for the situation to be returned to a legal and democratic framework, the Russian Embassy in BiH stated ahead of today’s meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Dodik in Moscow.
The Embassy emphasized that the unlawful verdict issued against Dodik in a fabricated criminal process, together with the politically motivated decision of the BiH Central Election Commission to strip him of his presidential mandate, carries a significant destabilizing potential.
They stressed that restoring the situation to a legal democratic field requires the immediate closure of the OHR, which has become the main source of problems in BiH, the renewal of direct dialogue among the domestic parties, and an end to Western interference in BiH’s internal affairs.
According to the statement, in recent years BiH’s internal political situation has been seriously complicated by the growing neocolonial interference of the West in the internal affairs of Republika Srpska, including the actions of the self-proclaimed High Representative Christian Schmidt.
The Embassy underlined that the partnership between Russia and Republika Srpska is based on mutual respect, a desire to enhance cooperation, and shared approaches to current international issues. Despite increasing Western pressure, Republika Srpska maintains a consistent, constructive, and responsible stance on the situation in Ukraine.
Russia values Republika Srpska’s efforts to ensure BiH’s neutrality and its refusal to join the EU’s unlawful anti-Russian restrictions.
“We reaffirm the commitment of the Russian Federation to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, the equality of the three constituent peoples – Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats – and the broad powers of the two entities, Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, as established by the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement,” the statement said, citing the position of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lavrov and Dodik are expected to discuss strengthening partnership with Republika Srpska, post-conflict settlement issues in BiH, and the overall situation in the Western Balkans.
Source: RTRS
