Bosnia's official positions of the support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as condemnation of actions that violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have not changed despite external and internal pressures, Presidency Chairman Seifk Dzaferovic said on Tuesday, addressing the Crimea Platform summit via video link.

He stressed that the foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards international partners, which includes friendly Ukraine, is based on openness and equality, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the principle of peaceful cooperation, respect for international law and respect for mutual interests.

He recalled that the Presidency adopted on March 6, 2014 a special statement on the situation in Ukraine, expressing expectations that the newly emerging crisis will be resolved through peaceful and democratic means, through dialogue and political negotiations between all relevant parties, with the constructive support of the entire international community, based on generally accepted principles of international law

“A year after the illegal and illegitimate referendum was held, and the consequent illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, on March 16, 2015, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the declaration of the High Representative on behalf of the EU on Crimea, which confirmed the strong commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Dzaferovic said.

The same declaration, he added. Continued condemning the act of violation of the international law, pointing out that the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol is a direct challenge to international security, with serious implications for the international legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states.

“After the invasion Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the aforementioned, joined a number of international documents, such as the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly ‘Aggression against Ukraine’, the decision of the Council of Europe on the suspension of the representative office of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe, the declaration of High Representative on behalf of the EU about the invasion of the armed forces of the Russian Federation into Ukraine and a series of accompanying declarations, as well as a series of decisions of other international institutions and organizations,” the Presidency Chairman underlined.

He added that the positions of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented previously were adopted as a result of the decisions of institutions and international obligations, including the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association of BiH with the European Union and other acts.

Dzaferovic's participation in the event was previously discussed at an extraordinary Presidency session, at a request by the Serb Presidency member Milorad Dodik. His demand that Dzaferovic cancels the participation was rejected.