NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern over what he called “inflammatory rhetoric” in Bosnia and Herzegovina and criticised Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for undermining the progress that the country has made so far.

Stoltenberg discussed the situation in the Western Balkans with Montenegro Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, expressing grave concern about the developments in Bosnia.

“We are concerned about the inflammatory rhetoric of Mr Dodik. His actions undermine the achievements we made there and which refer to the multi-ethnic armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the NATO chief was quoted as saying.

He stressed that the unified structures of Bosnia and Herzegovina are important for the country's stability, especially the armed forces as one of the strongest multi-ethnic institutions in the country.

The statement comes amid ongoing political tensions that emerged after Dodik announced withdrawal of the Serb-majority region, Republika Srpska, from the state-level institutions, primarily Bosnia's Armed Forces and forming a parallel army in the entity. Dodik's steps come in response to the law on genocide denial ban, which was recently imposed by the international peace envoy whose presence and powers the Serb leader strongly objects.