In late October, Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bakir Izetbegovic, and Speaker of the House of Representatives,Denis Zvizdic sent a letter to the heads of parliaments and governments of the European Union (EU) member states, EU institutions, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.), in which they warn of the danger posed by the unconstitutional actions of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity’s authorities, led by Milorad Dodik.
A large number of responses from international officials to the letter from Izetbegovic and Zvizdic emphasized concern over the current situation in BiH, but also readiness to react in order to prevent escalation.
The President of the German Bundestag, Barbel Bas, stressedthat the institution she chairs closely follows the events in BiH, and that they are “deeply concerned that leading RS representatives are increasingly questioning the order provided by the Dayton Peace Agreement, and thus the basis for peace, territorial integrity, and stability in BiH “.
“Any weakening of your country’s central structures would jeopardize the progress made over the past 26 years under the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as your country’s EU accession prospects. Therefore, the danger of destabilizing actions and statements that provoke divisions can only be strongly warned, ” it was mentioned in a letter from the President of the Bundestag.
It is also emphasized that the Bundestag, together with its partners, will do everything in its power to preserve the conditions for peace, rule of law, and social integration in BiH.
The Minister for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Development, and Commonwealth of the UK, Wendy Morton, pointed out in the letter that the UK shares concerns about irresponsible secessionist policies which, she said, threaten to undermine the progress that was made in the past 26 years.
“In recent weeks, we have worked in the United Nations (UN)Security Council to secure EUFOR’s mandate and resist Russian pressure to close the Office of the High Representative (OHR). The High Representative still has our full support, including the use of executive powers if the situation requires it,” Morton said.
On November 19th, European Parliament President, David Sasolli sent a letter to Bakir Izetbegovic, Denis Zvizdic, and Dragan Covic, where among other things, he thankedIzetbegovic and Zvizdic for the letter delivered on October 25th and emphasized that the European Parliament shares the concerns expressed in that letter.
“We strongly condemn any statement or proposal aimed at undermining BiH’s statehood and its constitutional value,” he told.
Sassoli noted that the European Parliament and he will continue to monitor the situation in BiH and “make full use of all available instruments as soon as the situation requires it.”
The President of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), David McAllister, also responded to the letter, noting that the situation in BiH is being closely monitored and condemned all activities aimed at undermining BiH’s statehood and the functioning of its institutions.
“During a meeting on the situation in BiH on October 26th, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called for decisive action against destabilizing the country. We stand behind the international community’s efforts to de-escalate and dialogue, enabling electoral and constitutional reform ahead of the October 2022 elections,” wrote McAllister.
E.Dz.
Source: BHRT
