The American Embassy in Montenegro announced that it was "very disappointed" by the decision of two Montenegrin ministers to attend the recent ceremony marking January 9 as Republika Srpska (RS) Day, which was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015.
“This move shows great disrespect for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Embassy said in response to Voice of America's request for comment.
The ceremony in Banja Luka on January 8, at which RS entity president Milorad Dodik awarded the medal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was attended by the ministers of justice and finance, Marko Kovac and Aleksandar Damjanovic.
“The presence of Montenegrin government officials at the event, which also honoured Russian President Vladimir Putin – whose unprovoked war in Ukraine caused heavy destruction and human suffering – is in stark contrast to Montenegro's position as a NATO ally and an aspirant for membership in the European Union, and with the principles and values shared by the members of the Euro-Atlantic community,” the American Embassy in Podgorica said.
Bosnia’s Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic sent a formal protest to Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic over the incident, in which she said that this move represents disrespect for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
