Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marija Zakharova gave an interview to the Financial Times regarding the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), ie Russia’s policy towards our country.
Zakharova said that the situation in BiH has changed compared to 2008 when Russia supported the fulfillment of the “5 + 2” conditions for the abolition of the Office of the High Representative (OHR).
“Our country really supported the ‘5 + 2 Program’ in 2008 – in a situation that was significantly different from the current one. In that distant year, the opinion of the international community was based on the fact that the OHR, according to the ‘5 + 2 Program’, would be closed in the short term. The fact that this has not happened so far (and some of the conditions remain unfulfilled) indicates that the Program has long been inconsistent with the modern reality of BiH and that it needs to be adjusted, at least. ‘Strengthening the rule of law’ and ‘positive assessment of the situation in BiH’ are very vague formulations that allow for a broad interpretation, which is being abused by our Western partners in the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). All indications are that another way needs to be found to finish the functioning of the OHR,” Zakharova stated.
In this regard, she drew attention to PSVE Resolution No. 1384 (2004) “On Strengthening Democratic Institutions in BiH”, which, according to Zakharova, indicates the OHR’s incompatibility with the principles of a democratic and sovereign state and thus emphasizes the need to abolish the OHR.
“The status of the High Representative (HR) as an institution that stands outside the law and above the law with absolute, unlimited power raises serious questions,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova called the election of Christian Schmidt outside the Security Council, ie within the PIC, without the consent of Russia and China, a “Sarajevo” solution.
“Sarajevo’s ‘solution’ to an important international issue, adopted in such an incomplete format, is unprecedented in the history of multilateral efforts to promote the stabilization process in BiH and cannot be considered an expression of the common opinion of the international community and the BiH parties themselves,” Zakharova explained and added that the decision of the foreign ambassadors in Sarajevo cannot be the source of his powers.
When asked to comment on the boycott of state institutions, Zakharova said that she fully understands the wave of “people’s” indignation that arose in “BiH, especially the Republika Srpska(RS)”, as a result of arbitrary actions.
“We hope that the internal political crisis that caused all Serbs, including the opposition, to refuse to participate in the work of general BiH bodies will be solved. The best way out of the situation is to repeal Valentin Inzko’s illegal decision… The goal of Valentin Inzko’s attack is obvious – that is the whole Serbian people, ” said Zakharova, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
