ĐURIĆ: CENTRALIZATION OF BiH POTENTIALLY DESTABILIZING, UNITARY BiH WOULD BE DISASTER

DAYTON, MAY 24 /SRNA/ - Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić has stated during the marking of the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement that Serbia believes in dialogue among equals in BiH and is convinced that lasting peace can only result from mutual respect, not from attempts at centralization.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly session being held in Dayton, Đurić warned that any attempt to centralize BiH, especially if carried out against the will of the entities, is not only legally questionable but also potentially destabilizing.

"There are those in Europe who advocate for a unitary Bosnia, often under the guise of creating a 'more functional state.' That is a disaster waiting to happen. BiH is not a monoethnic state. The only sustainable path forward is one that respects its unique structure and the autonomy of its constituent peoples. Anything else risks undoing the peace established by the Dayton," Đurić said.

He has emphasized that Serbia will always be a reliable and committed partner in preserving peace, opposing both separatism and forced centralization, reads a statement by Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Đurić has warned that the situation in BiH will remain complex as long as it is viewed in black-and-white terms, and that if there is true commitment to the future, the responsibility lies in avoiding deepening divisions or reigniting past conflicts.

He has reiterated that Serbia fully supports the territorial integrity of BiH but is equally committed to preserving the constitutional competencies of Republika Srpska as guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement.