Russian Ambassador to BiH, Igor Kalabukhov, stated that Christian Schmidt is an illegitimate High Representative and that his report to the UN Security Council does not reflect the actual situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kalabukhov remarked that previous High Representatives’ reports were also unrealistic, but he described Schmidt’s report as particularly unbalanced and disconnected from reality.
“These reports are not balanced. Especially now, with Russia absent, they have become entirely unbalanced and do not reflect the real situation in BiH. They fail to offer recommendations suitable for BiH, because the High Representative’s position is meant to oversee the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement,” Kalabukhov said on the program Telering.
He emphasized that the High Representative’s responsibility is limited to Annex 10 of the Dayton Agreement, without involving the EU or other priorities for BiH.
Kalabukhov also responded to Schmidt’s claim that the OHR lacks funds, noting that the Russian Federation stopped funding the OHR as it does not recognize Schmidt’s mandate.
Discussing Russia’s interests in the Balkans, Kalabukhov clarified that Russia has no geopolitical ambitions but instead seeks fair cooperation, primarily in energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.
He highlighted that the Russian market is vast and that Russia opposes any imposition of external agendas.
“If there were no artificial divisions or sanctions, and if BiH had the freedom to choose, people here would not be entirely aligned with the EU,” the Russian ambassador asserted.
Kalabukhov concluded by saying that the identity of BiH’s people should be built on positive foundations, not on confrontation and differences, and that the sanctions against Russia represent an attempt at non-economic competition.
Source: RTRS
