An unprecedented diplomatic scandal in Sarajevo

An unprecedented diplomatic scandal in Sarajevo

According to Klix.ba, first the Croatian member of the Presidency, Zeljko Komsic, refused to meet with the Russian chief of diplomacy, and then the same was announced by the Bosnian member of the Presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic.

Komsic should explain the reason for his attitude today, and it is assumed that one of the reasons for Komsic's action is the way in which this visit by Lavrov was organized, considering that he first went to a meeting with the RS entity delegation yesterday, and last night held a meeting with the leader of the HDZ and a member of the Collegium of the House of Peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina Dragan Covic, according to Klix.ba.

The epilogue of this diplomatic scandal is that the Serbian member of the Presidency, Milorad Dodik, finally received Lavrov on his own.

Explanation

According to the official explanation, which followed shortly after they refused to go to the meeting, Komsic and Dzaferovic say that they did it because the Russian official did not respect the institutions and the Constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Dzaferovic and Komsic said that at a joint conference in the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Lavrov and the Serbian member of the Presidency and the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, talked at that moment.

They said that they intended to go to a meeting with the Russian minister and tell him everything they have, but they still decided on a joint press conference, because, they believe, it has more weight.

As reasons for disrespecting Bosnia-Herzegovina's institutions, they stated that during Lavrov's meeting with Dodik in East Sarajevo last night, there were no state symbols of BiH, but also some statements by Lavrov, especially the one welcoming the Resolution of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on military neutrality in case Bosnia-Herzegovina joins one of the associations, in this case NATO. Komsic assessed that Lavrov, as an experienced diplomat, whose moves were planned in advance, sent specific message.

Lavrov's messages after the meeting with Dodik, Komsic and his colleague Dzaferovic perceived as "humiliation and denial of Bosnian institutions".

"Lavrov, as perfectly informed, had to know that such a decision could only be made by the state bodies of BiH," said Komsic, recalling that BiH had made a decision on joining the EU and NATO. Komsic said that BiH's commitment is to have good relations with Russia, but that, as he said, at the same time, they expect that the one who represents the Russian Federation respects the institutions and the constitutional system of BiH.

Komsic also mentioned the announcement of Lavrov's spokesperson on social networks with posting "a kind of threat" uttered in diplomatic language. "We cannot build relations in that way," Komsic said. Dzaferovic agreed with everything that Komsic said and pointed out that with this move, they want to preserve the dignity and pride of their homeland.

"Russian Federation is a great country, a world power, Bosnia-Herzegovina is not, but it is an important and significant country in the world. We have our pride and we want to say what we think at a given moment," he said.

Lavrov's statements, he says, have been repeated for a long time through the statements of the Russian ambassador to BiH.

Dzaferovic stated that he respects the Dayton Agreement and added that, if Lavrov also respects it, then it is necessary to respect the continuity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its institutions, the flag and the symbol of the state, which, he says, was not the case last night. Respecting the Dayton Agreement means respecting all its annexes, one of which also applies to the High Representative, who cannot leave BiH until constitutional changes are made.

Dzaferovic claims that the departure of the High Representative from BiH is demanded by those who advocate secession. He reiterated that the High Representative cannot leave BiH, that constitutional changes should not be adopted, because, as he claims, the state cannot function according to the current Constitution.

Russian Ministry on Twitter: They met