Bosnia's Foreign Ministry received a letter from the Russian Embassy at the request from the Bosnian Croat leader Dragan Covic, requesting permission for a 24-member medical team as well as five specialised military vehicles used for disinfection and decontamination, to enter the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, N1 learned on Friday.

According to the document sent by Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic to the country's Defence Minister Sifet Podzic, the entrance of Russian chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence vehicles and the medical team from that country was requested by the state House of Peoples’ Speaker and Croat leader Dragan Covic who argued that they would be helping the south-Bosnian city of Mostar.

However, Podzic told N1 that his Ministry cannot allow the entrance of foreign military forces into Bosnia as this is solely the competence of the country's tripartite Presidency.

He added that the Ministry is unaware of any possible decision of the tripartite Presidency which would allow for the Russian military-medical team to enter the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its Bosniak-Croat shared Federation entity or the tasks which they would be engaged in.

“Also, neither the Defence Ministry nor Bosnia's Armed Forces were involved in the agreement of any bilateral arrangement that would involve the stay and engagement of members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Podzic said.