The British representative in the United Nations Security Council, Barbara Woodward, welcomed the decision of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, to attend a meeting on his report on the situation in the country and emphasized that "it is still vital that the Security Council has a full, open and informed dialogue with Mr Schmidt on the situation in BiH".

Woodward also welcomed the participation of BiH Presidency Chairman Sefik Dzaferovic in the session.

“Unfortunately, Mr Schmidt's report once again shows a worrying image of the situation in the country. Political stalemate and instability continue on many levels. We are concerned about the actions of some members of the Republika Srpska leadership, especially Mr Milorad Dodik, whose threat to re-establish the Republika Srpska army and withdraw from other state institutions and attempts at de facto secession engineering, is dangerous and risks conflict,” she said.

She also said her country welcomes the increased presence of the EUFOR mission, the European peace-keeping force.

The Ambassador noted that Britain opposes the closing of the High Representative's Office prematurely, saying that such initiatives were not motivated by the interests of BiH citizens, “but by a desire to undermine regional security for geopolitical purposes.”

Chinese representative’s address

The representative of the People’s Republic of China, Dai Bing, welcomed the presence of BiH Presidency member Sefik Dzaferovic, but also the representatives of Serbia and Croatia.

He pointed out that China's position remained “consistent and clear,” and that his country respects the sovereignty, integrity and independence of BiH.

Dai pointed out that 2022 is the election year is in BiH and that China hopes that “all parties” in the country will cooperate in seeking consensus through dialogue and consultations and work together to improve the country's political agenda.

“The system of the High Representative and the Bonn powers is a special arrangement of a special era. BiH needs to find a viable path towards fully restored sovereignty. Based on the evolving situation and in a fair, balanced and wise manner, the international community should provide constructive assistance in a way that meets the true needs of BiH citizens. Taking sides by external forces will not help reconcile differences and disagreements between ethnic groups in BiH,” the Chinese representative concluded.