Russian Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly reacted after the session of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, the international body overseeing peace process in BiH, calling it a “manipulative body” and the countries represented in it “so-called partners.”

The embassy expressed disagreement with the conclusions issued after the two day PIC SB session, stressing that Russia's membership in the PIC is “ignored with unwavering insolence.”

Russia has been boycotting session of the international body it is a part of, because it does not recognise Christian Schmidt as the High Representative in BiH as his appointment was not confirmed by the UN Security Council.

Its embassy in Sarajevo reiterated the stance, calling Schmidt “illegitimate.”

“His clumsy actions, eccentric behavior, public escapades are ridiculed even in the Western media. All this led to an unprecedented decline in his authority in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which only confirms the correctness of our position regarding the nullity of his mandate without the approval of the UN Security Council,” the embassy said.

It further noted that the “Western colleagues” seem to have fallen into the paradoxical “Catch 22 situation,” in which they speak of the respect for Bosnia's sovereignty but at the same time are not giving up on the instrument of the external protectorate – the Office of the High Representative.

The PIC SB concluded the two-day session on Friday, urging the local authorities among other things to adopt a law regulating the issue of state property and expressing support to the High Representative in carrying out his mandate in BiH.