Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Denis Becirovic held a press conference at which he spoke about the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between BiH and the United States (U.S.), and disputed the intention of member of the Presidency of BiH Zeljka Cvijanovic to propose U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize, accusing her of only compromising such a proposal.
Becirovic pointed to the historical role of the U.S. in preserving peace, stability, and the territorial integrity of BiH.
“The U.S., with its continuous presence in BiH since the most difficult days of our history, has provided exceptional support for the progress, independence, and territorial integrity of BiH. The U.S. was among the first states to recognize the independence of BiH on April 7th, 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on August 6th of the same year,” said Becirovic.
He added that the U.S. Embassy in BiH was opened on July 4th, 1994, in Sarajevo, within the celebration of the 218th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Furthermore, Becirovic reminded that the alliance and cooperation between BiH and the U.S. over the past decades resulted in significant political and economic progress, especially after the end of the war in BiH in 1995.
He especially referred to the recent initiative of a member of the Presidency of BiH, Zeljka Cvijanovic, for the nomination of U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“That is why the question rightly arises, what is the real goal of the closest associate of the former president of the entity Republika Srpska (RS)? Mrs. Cvijanovic, otherwise a declared exponent of Russian policy, did not have as her goal respect for the president of the U.S. or the U.S. citizens. If she had, she would have submitted a concrete proposal and adequate explanation, and not an empty initiative without substance,” Becirovic emphasized.
He criticized the fact that the proposal, as he stated, was neither serious in content nor in procedure, which prevented its inclusion on the agenda of the Presidency of BiH.
“Cvijanovic, as a person sanctioned by the U.S. for undermining peace and the Dayton Peace Agreement, compromised this proposal with her approach. Her political mentors want to distort the facts about the lawfully convicted former president of RS, hide their own geopolitical orientations, and continue with perfidious games that present BiH in a negative light. Their goal is, among other things, the removal from the list of sanctioned persons in the U.S.,” said Becirovic.
“We continue to work strongly with the administration of Donald Trump”
He stressed that friendship and partnership with the U.S. is not a day-to-day political topic, but a strategic orientation of the state.
“Unlike the leaders of the RS entity, for us, friendly ties with the U.S. are not a subject of day-to-day political calculations; for us, that is a long-term and strategic commitment. Our strategic goals are full membership in NATO and the European Union (EU). I spoke clearly about this yesterday at the session of the Presidency of BiH; unlike the pro-Russian policy of the leaders of RS, my policy has been and remains Euro-Atlantic. Without the support of the U.S., it is difficult for us to realize our strategic goals, which is why we continue to work strongly with the administration of Donald Trump,” said Becirovic.
He reminded that Cvijanovic in her proposal did not even mention Donald Trump’s first term.
“We do not forget that the administration at that time contributed to the stabilization of circumstances in BiH and the region, those who attacked peace and the Dayton Agreement were sanctioned, and we value that,” said Becirovic.
He especially emphasized the importance of the recent statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who at the beginning of the year clearly condemned the actions of the RS leadership.
“Rubio then said that the actions of Milorad Dodik undermine the institutions of BiH and endanger its constitutional order. He called on international partners to oppose the destabilizing behavior of the RS leader. That was a clear signal of support for peace, stability, and the institutions of BiH,” said Becirovic.
“We will not allow anyone to pit us against the West”
In the continuation of his address, Becirovic reminded that numerous countries of the world are developing good relations with the U.S., including countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, France, Italy, as well as members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
“BiH has always had good relations with the U.S. We will continue to improve them, and we will not allow anyone to pit us against the West. A credible partner in international relations is made through reliability, responsibility, continuity, and predictability. The leaders of the RS entity have not shown any of that,” said Becirovic.
He also reminded of earlier statements by Milorad Dodik, especially the one for Russian media, in which he supported Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called Vladimir Putin a ‘humanist.’
“It was almost as if Dodik had proposed Putin for the Nobel Peace Prize. All these statements and actions clearly show what their foreign policy orientation is,” said Becirovic.
He conveyed that BiH must continue to develop a principled, responsible, and recognizable foreign policy, and that he personally will advocate for strengthening the international reputation of the state, for dialogue, cooperation, and peace.
“We had numerous meetings with American officials, and once again I saw that BiH has many friends in the U.S. We will continue to work on developing relations,” concluded member of the Presidency of BiH Denis Becirovic.
