What is happening in Ukraine should be a warning to the entire Euro-Atlantic community that it must prevent similar developments in the Western Balkans, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where there is “significant Russian influence,” the Bosniak member of the tripartite BiH Presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, said ahead of the Foreign Policy Committee session on Tuesday.

Dzaferovic said he discussed the situation in BiH with MEP Tineke Strik. He said there is no doubt that Strik wants Bosnia and Herzegovina to be peaceful and stable, its institutions to be functional, reforms to take place within BiH and the country to progress on its Euro-Atlantic path.

Dzaferovic pointed out the importance of the fact that BiH has strong supporters among MEPs who are committed to an efficient, functional Bosnia and Herzegovina in the interest of all citizens.

All three members of the BiH Presidency will address the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

“I will present views that are known, that are in favour of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all of us in BiH,” Dzaferovic said.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has condemned Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine. BiH has joined the entire civilised world that has condemned this act. We want the war to stop there as soon as possible, for peace to be established, for things to be resolved peacefully,” the Presidency member said.

“I think that what is happening in Ukraine should be a warning to the entire Euro-Atlantic community in order to prevent such things in the Western Balkans, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said, arguing that there is significant Russian influence in the Western Balkans, as well as in BiH.

“We must do everything we can to ensure that this does not spill over into the Western Balkans and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said, noting that what is happening in Ukraine has prompted the entire Euro-Atlantic community to take such a possibility seriously and a more careful approach toward BiH.

Dzaferovic stressed that the accession of all six countries of the Western Balkans to the European Union is primarily a geostrategic and geopolitical issue.

He explained that the functioning of BiH institutions is currently being blocked by officials from BiH’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity, where BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik is the leader of the ruling party.

RS officials are “working to overthrow the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and openly threaten the secession of part of Bosnia and Herzegovina called Republika Srpska,” he said.

“The European Union should help us,” he said, arguing that it should send a clear message “to all those who would like to undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, reduce the capacity for reforms, threaten the secession of certain parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” that they cannot do so.

Dzaferovic said that another topic that will be discussed in Brussels is electoral reform in BiH.

“Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be conditioned by any processes,” he said, referring to statements from Bosnian Croat political leaders who argued that the October elections in BiH should not take place because the election law has not been amended.

According to Dzaferovic, the elections must take place within the deadlines prescribed by the law.

“We need to discuss changes to the Election Law, but we cannot discuss it under conditions of blackmail, ultimatums and unrealistic demands that we have witnessed in the past period,” he stressed.