CVIJANOVIĆ: BOSNIAK ABUSE OF INSTITUTIONS UNDERMINES BiH FOREIGN POLICY

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 19 /SRNA/ - The Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović has stressed that BiH’s foreign policy has failed, as a consequence of institutional abuse primarily by representatives of the Bosniak people.

"When you do not have internal policy, you cannot have a consistent foreign policy. We do not have it because we do not agree internally on any issue, and on the foreign policy level because Bosniak representatives have abused the institutions they swear by", Cvijanović said at a press conference in Banja Luka.

Cvijanović reminded that this has been happening for years, pointing to numerous examples of such abuse.

"The latest example is the resolution condemning serious attacks by Iran, where BiH was supposed to be a co-sponsor. You have seen how much manipulation there was to prevent that issue from even being placed on the Presidency’s agenda", Cvijanović reminded.

According to her, very often such important issues do not even reach the Presidency’s agenda due to the blocking of the other two members, who do not allow discussion on these matters.

"So, in the majority of cases, things are resolved in a way that someone unilaterally, on behalf of one people and without respecting constitutional procedures, expresses their opinion within international organizations in the name of BiH. These are unacceptable practices, and because of them BiH is not respected," Cvijanović said.

Cvijanović stressed that she will seek to have the Presidency adopt a position regarding the designation of certain groups considered terrorist organizations.

According to her, it is good that the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska will launch this initiative, as the most important security reports indicate that cells of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard are operating in BiH.

"Our obligation is to respond in this way to anything that represents a potential threat. We must remain prepared and take all of this into account," Cvijanović said.

She added that the deterioration of BiH's foreign policy is also illustrated by the example of the Bosniak member of the Presidency, Denis Bećirović, who recently, during a visit and a series of meetings in Brussels, excluded the ambassador responsible for the EU, Serb Obrad Kesić, and instead brought a bilateral ambassador.

"It is regrettable that the EU accepted this, even though they know very well who the ambassador to the EU is. We have information that the bilateral ambassador was not allowed to attend a NATO meeting, where procedures are well known, so he sat in a car and waited for the meeting to end," Cvijanović said.

She stated that BiH is full of examples of usurpation and manipulation, and the undermining of the constitutional system, not because Republika Srpska is doing so, but because Bosniak representatives are guided by directions from political Sarajevo.

"BiH does not belong only to Bosniaks. The Constitution clearly defines to whom what belongs, how BiH is composed, and what our constitutional mechanisms are to defend ourselves. But through various manipulations used against us, we have reached a situation where we must defend ourselves in every possible way through political means," Cvijanović emphasized.

She added that those who claim to support BiH and the system are the ones who, for every problem that could have been resolved through political dialogue and agreement, have called upon various High Representatives who abused their positions under the Dayton Agreement.

"The one who calls himself the High Representative even changed the Criminal Code to confront the will of the people in Republika Srpska. Unfortunately, the judiciary could have stood in the way of yet another abuse in our constitutional system, but it did not, it participated in it", the Serb member of the Presidency added.

Cvijanović said that Republika Srpska has managed to overcome many challenges, and that BiH's foreign policy has ultimately harmed only itself.

"We have found a way to communicate where it is in our interest. When we engage in foreign policy, we do not do so by speaking negatively about others, but by pointing out real problems and offering potential solutions. We are very different in that regard, there is no doubt about it", Cvijanović concluded.