Moscow opposes high rep’s Bonn powers

Russian Ambassador to Bosnia Aleksandr Botsan Kharchenko said that Moscow is strongly opposed to the continued use of the Bonn powers. The Bonn powers refer to the authority of the high international representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which make it possible for officials who are obstructing the peace implementation process to be dismissed from their positions. Moscow opposes high rep’s Bonn powers The ambassador pointed out that this authority is “part of the problem rather than a solution to unresolved issues”, reported Tanjug. The Russian diplomat also said that the international community needs to seek another way to solve the disputable issues in Bosnia, and announced that his country will open a serious discussion on the subject at the February session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). “We hope that our partners, and especially the high representative, will understand that they need to change their mode of operations, if they want stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The best way to accomplish this is to cancel the Bonn powers, close the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and enable the arrival of an EU mission, which will use entirely different methods to solve problems in Bosnia,” Kharchenko told the Belgrade daily Press Republic of Srpska (RS) section, Press RS. He pointed out that the use of the Bonn powers has been generating tension and deepening the crisis in Bosnia since spring of 2009. “If it had not been for the high representative's decision on foreign judges and prosecutors, there would be no referendum talk in RS,” the Russian ambassador concluded.

Moscow opposes high rep’s Bonn powers

The ambassador pointed out that this authority is “part of the problem rather than a solution to unresolved issues”, reported Tanjug.

The Russian diplomat also said that the international community needs to seek another way to solve the disputable issues in Bosnia, and announced that his country will open a serious discussion on the subject at the February session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC).

“We hope that our partners, and especially the high representative, will understand that they need to change their mode of operations, if they want stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The best way to accomplish this is to cancel the Bonn powers, close the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and enable the arrival of an EU mission, which will use entirely different methods to solve problems in Bosnia,” Kharchenko told the Belgrade daily Press Republic of Srpska (RS) section, Press RS.

He pointed out that the use of the Bonn powers has been generating tension and deepening the crisis in Bosnia since spring of 2009.

“If it had not been for the high representative's decision on foreign judges and prosecutors, there would be no referendum talk in RS,” the Russian ambassador concluded.