Josip Juratovic, a member of the German Bundestag, welcomed Germany’s decision to suspend projects in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity, arguing that it seems the international community is finally changing its approach toward BiH.
Germany is suspending four projects worth 105 million euros which were supposed to be realised in the territory of the Serb-majority RS entity, N1 learned.
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“I welcome the decision of the Government to suspend assistance until further notice and until (Milorad) Dodik and his structures return to institutions, until he stops weakening state institutions,” Juratovic told N1.
He was referring to the Bosnian Serb member of the tripartite BiH Presidency, Milorad Dodik, who is also the leader of the ruling party in the RS.
Dodik and his party initiated a process of the unilateral withdrawal of the RS from BiH state institutions. His goal is the reversal of numerous post-war reforms, which is at the centre of the political crisis in BiH.
Juratovic explained that Germany’s decision is fair because the country did not fully stop the projects but only suspended them “until the RS Government accepts the fact that no one in Europe, including Germany, can allow the institutions of the state of BiH to be weakened.”
He argued that after almost three decades of the policy the three major political groups in BiH created which is connected to “corruption and crime”, it is becoming clear to everyone that certain measures must be taken.
Juratovic noted that the United States imposed sanctions against “all three sides” in order to “suppress corruption and crime”.
He said he believed that the current global situation is also a factor that lead to such decisions and that “the international community understands that it can no longer rely” on the political leaders of Bosnia’s three major ethnic groups.
