A part of the interview of Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, which she gave for the TASS news agency, was published on the Facebook page of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Here is one part of the interview published on the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy:
”German citizen Christian Schmidt cannot be considered a High Representative (HR) for BiH, as the United Nations (UN)Security Council has not adopted a resolution approving him for the function – such a Russian-Chinese draft resolution has been blocked. The statement “on the appointment of Schmidt” given on May 27th which was made by the ambassadors of the member states of the Steering Board of the PeaceImplementation Council (PIC) for the Peace (Dayton) Agreement for BiH, who were accredited in Sarajevo is not enough.
In the absence of strong international support and, of particular importance, a consensus within BiH itself, Schmidt lacks the legitimacy necessary to perform the function of HR. Russia has been forced to suspend its participation in meetings of the Steering Board of the PIC in Sarajevo, chaired by the self-appointed HR.
The absurdity of the situation is obvious, in which a foreigner, when not elected by the citizens of BiH, interferes in the internal affairs of the country at his own discretion, bears no responsibility for his actions, and replaces the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
In these circumstances, the Serbian people, as one of the three equal state-building peoples of BiH, rightly refused to recognize Schmidt as a legitimate representative of the international community.
HR is not accountable even to the courts – neither domestic nor international. In a European democratic country, such as BiH, there should be no room for such a structure, whose activities are contrary to the principles of the rule of law. Back in 2006, the Steering Board made a fundamental decision to close down the Office of the High Representative (OHR), and in 2008 the “5 + 2” Program was harmonized, which needs to be adjusted to the changed reality.
The efforts of the international community in BiH must be aimed at freeing this sovereign and independent European state from the external protectorate in the form of HR. As recent events in BiH show, it is increasingly becoming a factor in destabilizing the situation in the country, ” Zaharova told TASS, according to the Facebook page of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in BiH.
E.Dz.
