CVIJANOVIĆ: TALKS WITH ŠEKERINSKA SHOWED DEEP BiH MISUNDERSTANDINGS

MUNICH, FEBRUARY 14 /SRNA/ – The Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, has stated that today’s meeting in Munich between members of the BiH Presidency and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska once again demonstrated what she described as deep political misunderstanding within BiH.

"The meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska started well and ended the way meetings usually end when participants from BiH are involved. Not in the least because there was anything wrong on the deputy secretary general's side. We have good cooperation," Cvijanović said.

She noted that Republika Srpska had established contact with NATO officials two to three years ago in order to address what she described as abuses and manipulation related to the submission of certain documents and the bypassing of Serb representatives’ positions, adding that the matter had since been corrected.

"They insist that procedures be respected, meaning that everything goes through the commission and not through one side, as had previously been the case," Cvijanović said.

She pointed out that the other two members of the BiH Presidency, Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović, were quite explosive during the meeting.

"They immediately began talking about what would happen in case of war. I clearly said there will be no war, unless some jihadists come from outside or from some other military alliance," Cvijanović said, adding that deep misunderstandings within BiH manifest themselves in every possible way.

She stressed that such conduct is highly inappropriate and said it reflected the thinking of colleagues from another constituent people.

According to her, this prompted her to respond firmly, as Bećirović and Komšić sought to explain what is good for Republika Srpska, despite not being elected in Srpska, nor authorized to speak on behalf of Serbs, any municipality in Srpska, or any of its institutions.

"I said they have absolutely no right to speak about that. Only I can speak about that at this meeting. This usurpation of institutions, and now even of opinions, is what makes cooperation in BiH impossible. The sooner they stop behaving that way, the sooner things can improve," Cvijanović told RTRS.

The meeting with Šekerinska was held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.