During a session of the European Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee (AFET), Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljko Komsic told AFET members that the most loyal Russian associates in the Western Balkans were Dragan Covic and Milorad Dodik.
“Given all the events on the European continent, Russia’s aggression against neighboring independent and sovereign Ukraine, the unprecedented unity of almost all European countries, not only EU members, in response to this aggression as well as the reflection of that aggression on the Western Balkans, thus, to my country, it is my obligation to be direct and not always speak diplomatic language “, said Komsic.
He pointed out that he would talk about malignant Russian influence both in BiH and in the Western Balkans.
“I will repeat what you all already know – who are the key Russian political actors in my country with the hope that this time they will be heard and remembered. This is important because Russian aggression against neighboring Ukraine, endangered security of the entire European continent, long-term Russian policy “The ‘frozen conflict’ in the Western Balkans as well as in my country, now, can and should finally be understood and accepted as a security challenge,” Komsic said.
He added that the opinion of the European Commission on BiH’s application for EU membership, in his opinion, is a document in its importance immediately after the Dayton Agreement. In that sense, BiH, according to Komsic, has three possibilities, ie three paths, which can be used to move from a “kind of” political crossroads.
He points out that the first choice is the most difficult, but also the best, to implement the recommendations from the Commission’s Opinion.
“In case of implementation of 14 recommendations from the opinion, Bosnia and Herzegovina is irreversibly turning to the European Union. A union based on respect for and protection of human rights and human dignity of us citizens, individuals, regardless of racial, ethnic, religious or any other origin or orientation.” , believes Komsic.
In addition, Komsic believes, such a path, along with joining NATO, would guarantee the existence of BiH.
“The second choice for my country is to keep everything as it is now. I don’t think it is necessary to explain what the situation is now. We all know it. It is a state of stagnation and latent conflict that is unbearable for BiH citizens. It is unbearable because BiH “There is a constant blockade of institutions and ethnic tensions. Ethnic divisions are trying to present themselves as a permanent category of BiH society, while insecurity, uncertainty and corruption are leading to mass emigration, mostly of young people from BiH,” Komsic said.
He adds that in such a reality he creates a society and a social environment in which as an individual you can affirm and have a decent life only as a convinced member of an ethnic group and a member of the ruling party.
“All this speaks in favor of the fact that the current, not only constitutional and legal framework, but also the concept of organization of society based on it has been overcome and that further insistence on it leads to decadence. Or simply, to ruin that no one will be spared,” considers the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH.
He emphasized that Russia, until the aggression against Ukraine, was the biggest advocate of this situation in BiH, because it was a state of “frozen conflict” that suited Russia as a source of problems for NATO and the EU.
“Russia actually correctly assessed that the ‘frozen conflicts’ in the Western Balkans, and thus in my country, pose a security risk for NATO and the EU, and was the biggest advocate of maintaining the current situation,” Komsic said.
In the continuation of the presentation, Komsic said that there is certainly a third choice for his country.
“And that is to move back in relation to the current situation. Certainly the result of this election is a conflict. That conflict will certainly occur in that case. The moment of the outbreak of that conflict will depend on whether BiH has continued in its constitutional and legal system.
“It will depend on whether it has formalized these divisions both in the BiH Constitution and in its legislation, which will be more pronounced and larger than they are now, and will depend on external incentives or circumstances in the region,” Komsic said.
He stressed that any further ethnic divisions, by insisting that BiH’s constitutional and legislative structure is based on final ethnic divisions, will activate ethnically based conflicts.
“As a reminder, the current predominantly ethnically based constitutional-legal structure, with a partial civic approach, which is based on the concept of constituent peoples, is already a source of political conflicts that are best seen in the blockade of the state,” Komsic said.
He added that the ethnically structured electoral system of elections in one part of the country, which is currently being tried to impose itself, is the definitive beginning of the dissolution of BiH with a very uncertain outcome.
“This is achieved by violating the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina by neighbors through the concept of care of neighboring countries for members of the people who are actually indigenous citizens of BiH. This concept goes to the extent that neighboring countries openly interfere in internal affairs of BiH,” Komsic concluded.
Source: Klix.ba
