ĆURIĆ HRVATINIĆ: BEĆIROVIĆ TURNED UN SPEECH INTO ELECTION CAMPAIGN PLATFORM

NEW YORK, MAY 12 /SRNA/ - Deputy Representative of Croatia to the UN Hrvoje Ćurić Hrvatinić criticized Presidency of BiH Chairperson Denis Bećirović for using his address at the UN Security Council session to launch his election campaign.

"I regret that Bećirović used this important platform at a very significant moment in the UN Security Council to launch his election campaign", Ćurić Hrvatinić said after Bećirović, in his address that was not coordinated within the Presidency of BiH, also mentioned a "third entity", stating that such policies must be "cut off at the root".

Ćurić Hrvatinić stressed that electoral reform in BiH is of essential importance for the legitimacy and transparency of elections, as well as for the legitimacy of representation of the constituent peoples.

"The current system still allows individuals to be elected without the support of the community they are supposed to represent, which undermines trust and stability", Ćurić Hrvatinić said at the UN Security Council session.

He added that, with the general elections in BiH approaching, it is important to preserve the equality of the constituent peoples and prevent discrimination, as well as to refrain from rhetoric that provokes divisions and to strengthen conditions for constructive political dialogue and reconciliation.

"Croatia firmly supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order and international presence in BiH in accordance with the Dayton Peace Accords", the Croatian deputy ambassador said, adding that Zagreb remains committed to cooperation with the High Representative and the ALTHEA mission.

Ćurić Hrvatinić underlined that Croatia opposes rhetoric that undermines the Dayton framework "through secessionist initiatives or attempts to achieve political centralization".

"Deepening divisions and weakened trust in institutions make BiH's path to the EU more difficult. Croatia supports BiH on its EU path and contributes to its resilience, security and connectivity through strategic energy diversification projects, including the Southern Gas Interconnection", Ćurić Hrvatinić said.