Is there a Russian and Serbian Influence in 2018 General Elections?

A proof of Russia’s involvement in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the announced visit by President of Republika Srpska entity Milorad Dodik and Prime Minister Željka Cvijanović to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the beginning of October 2018, i.e. immediately before the election in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In international relations, it is inconceivable that Russia’s President receives a president of some region of another country, except if the visitor is an exponent of Russia’s politics in that region. In this case, Dodik obviously acts in Russian interests which are primarily focused on changing the borders, preventing BiH from gaining NATO full membership and eventually also on breaking Bosnia and Herzegovina apart and creating tensions in the region.  The same aims were pursued during the visited of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Banja Luka on 17 September 2018.

Although formally he advocates territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in practice acts contrary to his statements on respecting the borders and striving for peace and stability in the region.

Aleksandar Vučić’s destructive politics is based on the following key elements: ● not facing the past but rather promoting and abiding by Milošević’s military ideology and structure which is unfriendly towards the West and NATO  ● leading a schizophrenic foreign policy based on the Russian Federation and causing instability in the region and in Europe ● the autocratic internal regime as illustrated by media control, brutal treatment of the opposition and liquidation of political opponents, as well as offering unprincipled political support to Serbs outside Serbia and exploiting them together with Serbian Orthodox Church for creating crises in countries in the region.

Vučić has often publicly stated that he does not want to interfere in other countries’ inner affairs.  However, this is just his official rhetoric, while the reality is different. Thus, Vučić is to visit Dodik on 5 October 2018, i.e. two days before the election in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to attend the opening of a hospital in East Sarajevo. This clearly shows disharmony between his words and acts and puts his credibility under question.

(Source:ifimes)