Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency Milorad Dodik assessed as “unpleasant” the recent talks he had with US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Eric Nelson, which concerned the appointment of the new international community's High Representative in the country.
Speaking to Serbian media, Dodik said that New High Representative, German envoy Christian Schmidt is unacceptable for Republika Srpska – Bosnia's Serb-majority region where Dodik was elected in the Presidency, because “his appointment in the session of the Peace Implementation Council breaches the international law.”
The Peace Implementation Council (PIC), which oversees Bosnia’s peace process, formally appointed German politician Christian Schmidt to serve as the next High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the international official monitoring the civilian implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement.
In response to the appointment, Dodik said that the PIC was “bluffing” when it “supposedly appointed” the official, arguing that the process was not done according to the procedure.
“The person they supposedly appointed as their High Representative will not be acceptable and Republika Srpska will not accept him or any of his competencies,” Dodik said, urging the public to reject Schmidt's appointment as well.
He argued that the PIC did not have the power to appoint the official and that it was done in a “suspicious” way.
Russian Federation, also a member of the Council, opposed the appointed as well calling it “illegitimate,” arguing that only the UN Security Council can appoint the new envoy.
But, in the meeting with Dodik, the US ambassador said the procedure is over.
According to the Presidency member, the ambassador noted that “as far as they are concerned, Schmidt is appointed and they think Bosnia and Herzegovina should focus on building a functional BiH.”
“That means unitary BiH,” Dodik interpreted the statement, adding that he then told his collocutor “there will be no functional BiH.”
“We will accept every legitimately appointed high representative and cooperate with him in accordance with the Dayton agreement,” he said speaking to Happy TV.
The Serb leader, who openly advocates the closure of the Office of the High Representative, said this institution was introduced with the Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which said that the parties should agree on and propose a candidate to the UN Security Council, which would then appoint the nominee.
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