The Dayton Peace Agreement marked the beginning of a practice in which signed agreements are dismissed, while documents reached through painstaking negotiations are used merely as a cover for advancing political interests, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Bocan-Harčenko said.
He noted that the Western approach to the Dayton, Minsk, and Brussels agreements follows the same pattern — rules are interpreted and applied only when they serve Western interests.
“When it suits them, they invoke international law; when it doesn’t, they adjust it to their political goals. No lessons have yet been learned from the poor implementation of Dayton,” Bocan-Harčenko said.
He pointed out that the self-proclaimed high representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, along with certain international actors who support him, openly advocates for only one side, thereby disrupting the balance established by the Dayton Agreement and effectively turning BiH into a Western protectorate.
“The main goal of such actions is to keep the country in a constant state of political crisis so that external actors can retain control over its internal processes,” Bocan-Harčenko assessed.
He stressed that Russia, as one of the guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement, has a responsibility to support and preserve its original form.
He noted that the Russian Federation has suspended its participation in the work of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, which, he said, is no longer balanced.
“The high representative has no legitimacy, and the only institution that can influence the implementation of Dayton is the UN Security Council,” Bocan-Harčenko told Politika.
He emphasized that Russia consistently supports the territorial integrity of BiH, but strictly in line with its constitutional structure, preserving the rights of the three constituent peoples and the two entities, as well as the competencies guaranteed to them under Dayton.
“That is the only framework within which BiH can function in a stable manner,” he said.
Asked whether support for Serbs in BiH can also be understood as a defense of fundamental principles of international law and peace diplomacy, the Russian ambassador said there is no reason to deny the Serb people their natural and historical ties.
“Srbija and Republika Srpska have the right to maintain special parallel relations, as explicitly provided by the Dayton Agreement. For us, the link between Belgrade and Banjaluka has always been and remains extremely important. It is something that cannot be disputed or taken away. Due to Western attempts to weaken or limit that relationship, it was especially important that it be safeguarded by an international agreement,” Bocan-Harčenko said.
He added that this is precisely why Russia remains consistent in its position that respecting Dayton and the principles of international law is key to preserving peace and balance in BiH.
Speaking about the future of the Dayton Peace Agreement, he expressed hope that there will be no dangerous escalations or destabilization.
“Dayton remains the framework for peace, but without genuine readiness for dialogue from all sides, it is difficult to expect its full implementation,” Bocan-Harčenko concluded.
Source: RTRS
