Croat Presidency member: We must be cautious about Russia's destructive role

The Presidency member, Zeljko Komsic, was responding to an op-ed by Ambassador Peter Ivantsov which was published by Glas Srpske.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a sovereign state, “has the right to / not / get closer to someone”, and that there is no consensus Bosnian society on NATO integration, Ivantsov argued.

"Attempts to 'push' Bosnia's integration into NATO, which undermines the foundations of Bosnia's functioning as a state of three equal peoples and two entities with broad constitutional powers, jeopardize the security and the stability,” he stressed.

Komsic argued that “such an aggressive approach from the Russian Federation and its attack on what Bosnia and Herzegovina has defined in its laws and decisions shows that the US Senate is correct in stating that Russia undermines the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“Considering this, we have to be especially cautious when we speak about the destructive role Russia is playing in this region, as the messages coming from the Russian ambassador are not harmless,” he said.

Komsic said that Ivantsov thinks he can lead an “aggressive anti-west, anti-democratic policy as his country is doing in Serbia, as they are now doing in Montenegro in trying to destabilise it, as they tried to do in North Macedonia” in Bosnia as well, adding the Russian Ambassador should be aware that he is a diplomat of a foreign country on the land of independent and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Presidency member added that Ivantsov should not be concerned with Bosnia’s NATO integration and that he should refrain from commenting on decisions made by Bosnia’s highest legislative bodies.