The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, addressed the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday, on the occasion of Schmidt’s 69th report to the UN Secretary-General on the status of peace implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At the beginning, he pointed out that it can be seen from the High Representative’s report that the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is complex and challenging.
“This document further confirms the importance of the continued attention of the International Community with the aim of protecting peace, stability and the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH. Despite numerous challenges, BiH has made a major step forward on its European and Euro-Atlantic path,” said Bećirović, who recalled that in 2022 the European Council decided to grant BiH candidate status for EU membership, and in 2024 it decided to open accession negotiations with BiH:
“BiH has fulfilled the conditions to receive an invitation for NATO membership. Our results would have been even better if there had been no constant obstructions and blockades from the RS entity. It is necessary to point out the facts that preceded the current situation, and I particularly emphasize the following: The Republic of BiH, a member of the UN, was the victim of brutal aggression from 1992 to 1995. Joint criminal enterprises were waged against the Republic of BiH. Genocide was committed against Bosniaks, the only genocide in Europe after World War II.”
“The major-state protagonists are trying to achieve goals that were not achieved during the armed aggression in the post-Dayton period. Ignoring these facts does not help anyone, on the contrary. Their neglect can lead to a wrong diagnosis of the situation, and then to possible new wrong steps. We must not allow that”.
Bećirović reflected on the turbulent previous year.
“The difficult year of 2025 is behind us. The anti-Dayton policy of the RS entity leadership brought BiH to the brink of armed conflict. We avoided the worst-case scenario thanks to institutional and responsible action on the legal and foreign policy front. We also learned an important lesson. Any threat to the position and jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court of BiH, state judicial bodies and the High Representative could have incalculable consequences for the security and peace of BiH and this part of Europe”.
The High Representative exists on the basis of Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement and he is the final interpreter of the civilian parts of the agreement, Bećirović reminded.
“The signatories and witnesses of the Dayton Peace Agreement knew as early as late 1995 that this was an important institution for the protection of this international agreement. They knew that the agreement as a whole could not function without Annex 10. The Dayton Peace Agreement is not a menu where you can choose what you want and what you don’t. It must be respected in its entirety.”
Regarding the upcoming appointment of a new High Representative in BiH, Bećirović said:
“This should be done in a way that, as has been the case so far, the Peace Implementation Council elects a new High Representative, so that the competencies and mandate of the High Representative are not jeopardized. The closure of the OHR can only be discussed after the 5+2 problem has been met.”
Bećirović then continued:
“The problem in BiH is not the High Representative, but the anti-Dayton policy that openly advocates the destruction of Dayton and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let us be completely clear, the leadership of the RS entity is destroying the Dayton Peace Agreement, not the High Representative. It is time to stop the destroyers of the agreement, not to weaken the institutions that protect it”.
The Chairman of the BiH Presidency also addressed the policy of neighboring countries towards BiH.
“The neighboring countries, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia, have no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are not guarantors, but signatories to the Dayton Peace Agreement. Therefore, Serbia and Croatia have taken on an additional international obligation to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, as well as the judgments of the UN Courts”.
