The Office of the High Representative must be removed, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said after meeting officials of Republika Srpska.
He stressed that external interference in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unacceptable and that the Russian Federation remains committed to preserving the Dayton Peace Agreement and its core principles.
President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan thanked Russia for its principled position in defending Dayton, adding that in this way Republika Srpska is also being protected.
SNSD leader Milorad Dodik repeated that Republika Srpska will not give consent for sanctions against Russia and said the positions of the Russian Federation are not partisan, but principled and based on support for international law.
The visit of Grushko to Banja Luka was presented as proof that relations between Republika Srpska and Russia are at a high level.
Grushko said that respect for the core principles on which Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina rests — equality of the three constituent peoples and the constitutional competences of the two entities — is something Russia will not abandon. He described external actors as a destabilizing factor both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the Western Balkans.
“The illegal bypassing of the United Nations Security Council and the appointment of German citizen Christian Schmidt as High Representative drastically worsened long-term efforts to stabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina and proved that Western experiments with external governance lead nowhere good. Russia continues to act in line with the 2006 Steering Board decisions that the OHR should be closed,” Grushko said.
Karan said the visit of the Russian delegation showed respect for Republika Srpska and the Serb people, especially highlighting Russia’s principled defence of Dayton and international law.
“You recognized that Dayton was being undermined to the detriment of Republika Srpska, and everywhere as a guarantor of Dayton you stood in protection. When you protect the Dayton Agreement, you are in fact protecting the Republic and the Serb people,” Karan said.
Dodik stated that Republika Srpska has no intention of joining NATO because it follows a policy of military neutrality. He added that Russia has no hidden intentions and remains open to dialogue with everyone.
“The positions expressed by the Russian Federation regarding Dayton are not cheering for anyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are principled positions supporting international law and the agreement that was signed. Those who think it is against them are the ones undermining Dayton,” Dodik said.
He also said Republika Srpska would not abandon the struggle to preserve the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that Russia, as a guarantor of Dayton, is of exceptional importance in that effort.
Grushko concluded that no one from outside can impose their will on the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that they must decide for themselves how to build mutual relations in the interests of the constituent peoples.
Officials from Republika Srpska and Russia also emphasized that cooperation is not limited to diplomacy, but that the two peoples are connected by historical roots, shared values and a common anti-fascist struggle.
Source: RTRS
