The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, stated that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is rapidly deteriorating and that the UN Security Council must act to help prevent conflict. Russia, as a guarantor of the Dayton Agreement which ended the bloodshed in BiH, cannot turn a blind eye to what is currently happening in the country.
“The reason Russia requested today’s meeting is the sudden deterioration of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The already fragile situation in this country risks worsening soon. We often hear in this hall that the Security Council must prevent conflicts, many countries declare this theme central to their activities, and it is often discussed by the UN Secretary-General. In our view, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is precisely a case where the Council can prove itself in terms of prevention,” explained the diplomat, noting that the Security Council “needs to react to the situation.”
He emphasized that Russia cannot remain on the sidelines.
“We cannot stand by and not respond to the cries for help,” he said, referring to the letter and presentation by the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović.
Her letter speaks of the concerns of the Serb population, Nebenzia noted, adding that this is a situation where the UN Security Council can contribute to preventing further deterioration.
“The war claimed a large number of victims, and there were no purely innocent parties on one side and only evil on the other. Each side has its own debt to the other, and Srebrenica is not the only dark page of that war,” he said.
Nebenzia reminded that the Dayton Agreement has been a guarantor of peace for thirty years, but that its principles have been violated for some time now.
He pointed out as a particular problem the actions of the so-called representative Christian Schmidt, who behaves like an absolute ruler, and the West only encourages such behavior.
Promoting the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on the “genocide in Srebrenica” violates the Dayton Agreement, he added.
He stressed that the draft is one-sided and politically motivated.
“The draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on Srebrenica is one-sided, politically motivated and has nothing to do with the stated goal of commemorating the victims of the 1995 tragedy.
“It is clear that the authors strive to confirm in the UN General Assembly document format a classification of historical events that satisfies only their interests. The proposed document does not at all meet the objectives of promoting interethnic reconciliation in BiH,” assessed the diplomat.
According to him, “the wounds of Bosnian society are too fresh, and the problems in the country too serious for this draft to be presented at the General Assembly. The peoples of BiH must first come to a consensus on their own regarding the assessment of their history.
“We are categorically against this draft and call on all reasonable states to do the same,” said Nebenzia.
Source: RTRS
