The Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) responded on Friday to the statement by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of BiH (FBiH), Ramo Isak, who, commenting on the Embassy’s announcement from a few days earlier, remarked that “Russia is just a guest in BiH” and that its diplomats should “behave properly.”
The Russian Embassy in BiH stated that as a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Russia “provides an objective picture of the situation in BiH and significantly contributes to strengthening peace and stability in the country.”
“A recent example is Moscow’s support for the European Union (EU) peace operation ‘Althea’ for the coming period. Russia is, as is well known, one of the witnesses of the Dayton Peace Agreement and, in essence, its guarantor. Along with others, we have the right to express our stance if we believe its principles are being violated,” the Embassy stated.
Russia, as a great power, has national interests in the Balkans and in BiH…
“But unlike some, we strive to realize them not selfishly, but through dialogue based on mutual respect, aiming to find optimal ways to develop bilateral relations in all areas of mutual interest. Russia and BiH share a long tradition of cooperation rooted in history, dating back to the time of the USSR and SFRY. With our support, more than twenty industrial facilities were built and reconstructed in BiH in areas such as energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and coking chemistry. The largest among them are the thermal power plants in Gacko and Ugljevik, the steel mill in Zenica, the Omarska mine, the Lukavac coke plant, and the alumina factory ‘Birac.’ We deeply value our shared fight against fascism, the 80th anniversary of which we will celebrate on May 9th, 2025,” the Russian Embassy conveyed.
Responding to Minister Isak’s remarks, the Embassy added that Russia is not a “transoceanic guest” for BiH but a friend and partner, ready to develop bilateral relations on an equal footing, implement promising projects, and assist in strengthening humanitarian ties.
“The Embassy receives numerous messages from ordinary BiH citizens who perceive Russia, its culture, as well as its scientific and technological achievements, in exactly this way.
Therefore, we are confident that Russian-BiH relations have a promising future,” concluded the Russian Embassy in BiH.
