HDZ BiH and SNSD affirm long-standing partnership in Mostar while criticising international intervention

Dragan Covic stated that the cooperation established between the two parties, underpinned by an agreement signed in December 2022, continues to function exceptionally well. He expressed his gratitude to Dodik for his collaborative approach to finding mutually agreeable solutions over the years, noting that their compromises never came at the expense of a third party. While acknowledging that differences persist between HDZ BiH and SNSD on domestic matters and foreign policy, Covic emphasized that these issues have always been managed constructively through institutional channels.

Milorad Dodik echoed these sentiments, asserting that the joint engagement of SNSD and HDZ BiH has been vital to maintaining peace and preserving the functionality of state institutions. Dodik claimed that without their cooperation, Bosnia would have collapsed long ago, describing the country today as deeply fractured. He reiterated his long-standing position that the state can only function in strict accordance with the Constitution.

Both leaders directed sharp criticism toward international institutions and the Office of the High Representative (OHR). Covic remarked that the most realistic path forward for the country would be to completely invalidate all decisions previously imposed by High Representatives. He also underscored the critical need to resolve the issue of legitimate tactical representation and constitutional equality for Croats, warning that failure to do so would result in four more lost years for the nation.

Dodik launched an aggressive rhetorical assault on international diplomats, accusing them of behaving like an "international mafia" that has stripped the country of its sovereignty through the misuse of Bonn powers. He further targeted the Bosniak political leadership, rejecting any notion of a majoritarian system and stating that Bosniaks share equal constitutional rights and obligations with Serbs and Croats, regardless of census numbers. Additionally, Dodik confirmed that SNSD strongly supports changing the Election Law to resolve the selection process for the Croat member of the Presidency, though he explicitly ruled out any constitutional amendments regarding the direct election of the Serb member.