Western powers protest Serbia's Bosnia stance

The U.S., UK, France, Germany and Italy have sent a diplomatic protest note to official Belgrade. The move came in reaction to top Serbian officials' statements about High International Representative to Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak's work and was delivered this afternoon to Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic by the British ambassador to Belgrade, Stephen Wordsworth. Western powers protest Serbia's Bosnia stance "The note is expressing protest over some recent statements which relate to the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Miroslav Lajcak's attempts to change certain constitutional elements in Bosnia-Herzegovina," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified in a statement issued late Tuesday. The representatives from the embassies of the western powers also expressed their dissatisfaction with Belgrade's equation of the Dayton Peace Accord and UN Resolution 1244, that is, the Bosnia-Republic of Srpska situation and that in Kosovo. Jeremic told his interlocutors, the statement continued, that Serbia was "fully dedicated to respecting the Dayton agreement and all its elements, which act as the guarantee of equality for the two entities and all three nations in Bosnia." But he also stressed it was "necessary to respect international law," when it came to the Kosovo status crisis. Jeremic added that Serbia was dedicated to fully implementing the principle of inviolability of borders in the region, "where preserving Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity represents the most important test for the international community." Last week, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica used strong language to express his dissatisfaction with Lajcak's latest decisions, describing them as aimed at "annulling Resolution 1244 and the Dayton agreement, so that independence of Kosovo could be proclaimed and the Republic of Srpska abolished."

Western powers protest Serbia's Bosnia stance

"The note is expressing protest over some recent statements which relate to the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Miroslav Lajčak's attempts to change certain constitutional elements in Bosnia-Herzegovina," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified in a statement issued late Tuesday.

The representatives from the embassies of the western powers also expressed their dissatisfaction with Belgrade's equation of the Dayton Peace Accord and UN Resolution 1244, that is, the Bosnia-Republic of Srpska situation and that in Kosovo.

Jeremić told his interlocutors, the statement continued, that Serbia was "fully dedicated to respecting the Dayton agreement and all its elements, which act as the guarantee of equality for the two entities and all three nations in Bosnia."

But he also stressed it was "necessary to respect international law," when it came to the Kosovo status crisis.

Jeremić added that Serbia was dedicated to fully implementing the principle of inviolability of borders in the region, "where preserving Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity represents the most important test for the international community."

Last week, Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica used strong language to express his dissatisfaction with Lajčak's latest decisions, describing them as aimed at "annulling Resolution 1244 and the Dayton agreement, so that independence of Kosovo could be proclaimed and the Republic of Srpska abolished."