Russia has no plans to revise the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference after a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bisera Turkovich. Earlier, members of the presidium of this country Zeljko Komšić (head of the Croatian community) and Shefik Jaferovic (from the Muslim community) refused to meet with the Russian minister because of his statements about the military neutrality of the Republika Srpska within BiH and the independence of Bosnia itself.
“We do not see the need to revise the Dayton Agreement, especially when the relevant initiatives are observed from outside Bosnia,” Sergei Lavrov said.
He noted that Russia's support for the Dayton Agreement was confirmed at the talks at the Foreign Ministry and at the meeting with the Chairman of the Presidium of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, which took place the day before. According to Lavrov, the agreements help preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also guarantee the equality of the three state-forming peoples.
Earlier, Lavrov, at a meeting with the heads of the Republika Srpska, he expressed the opinion that the preservation of the institution of the High Representative in spite of the agreement "symbolizes, in fact, an external protectorate over independent Bosnia and Herzegovina." At the meeting itself, there was no BiH flag, and this is what infuriated the representatives of the Croatian and Muslim parts of Bosnia.
The Russian Foreign Minister arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a working visit from December 14 to 15. Lavrov was supposed to have a meeting with members of the country's presidium Zeljko Komsic, Shefik Dzhaferovich and the chairman of the presidium Milorad Dodik. As a result, two of them refused to talk with the Russian minister, explaining their refusal by the fact that Lavrov "supported the resolution of the Parliament of the Republika Srpska on the military neutrality of Bosnia and Herzegovina."
“Lavrov, as Russia's foreign minister, is one of the three leading world diplomats, a person with such experience. All his actions are planned out to the end. These signals are not personal, but signals from the country he represents. The absence of a flag at the meeting with Dodik is not a protocol error, we perceive it as a disdainful attitude and denial of the institutions of the country he came to, Komshich added, quoted by Dnevni avaz.
Jeferovich noted that at the meeting between Lavrov and Dodik on December 14, statements were made "disrespectful to the Dayton Agreement."
“The Russian Federation respects Dayton, the sovereignty and integrity of BiH, but the words that were voiced yesterday at the press conference in Lavrov's statement tell us something different. Respecting Dayton means respecting the state of BiH, its flag and coat of arms, this was not done yesterday,”stressed the member of the Presidium of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The day before, 25 years have passed since the signing of the Dayton Agreement. The agreements brought an end to the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which lasted for three years. According to the document, a ceasefire was declared, the separation of the warring parties and the isolation of territories. As a result, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brcko District were formed.]>
