The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina has in fact committed an act of open cheating by adopting a statement at a meeting on June 7-8 without Russia’s participation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharov said in a comment Thursday.
“For the first time in more than 25 years of multilateral efforts for a post-conflict solution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, a member of the Steering Board since its establishment, has not been invited to participate. It was an unprecedented violation of all existing rules. Moreover, other members of this advisory body and the Office of the High Representative have resorted to open fraud by adopting a final statement without even mentioning our country,” the statement said.
Zakharova emphasized that the decisions of the Management Board made without Russia’s participation were “illegitimate and cannot represent the position of the international community”.
She accused members of the administrative apparatus of “flagrant and unacceptable arbitrariness”.
“Obviously, they have problems with the fact that part of the international community, represented by Russia, adheres to divergent approaches to the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995 (Dayton Agreement) and the situation in that country,” she said.
Zakharova emphasized that such “gatherings of a select few behind closed doors, presented as official sessions, have no legal consequences for Bosnian parties”.
“Dayton architecture, which envisages the equality of three nation-building peoples and two ethnic groups with broad constitutional powers, remains relevant and enjoys our full support,” Zaharova concluded.
