OFFICIAL SARAJEVO PERSISTENTLY WANTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON ITS OWN

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 13 /SRNA/ – Official Sarajevo persistently seeks to make decisions on its own, as was the case with the promotional video in support of the BiH national football team featuring members of the BiH Armed Forces, said Deputy Minister of Defence in the Council of Ministers, Aleksandar Goganović.

Goganović stressed that it was not true that members of all three constituent peoples participated in the filming of the video, which has raised questions ranging from procedures within the Ministry of Defence to the role of Armed Forces personnel in public campaigns.

“They believe they can make decisions on behalf of the other two peoples. In the Ministry of Defence, as in all other institutions, decisions must be made jointly and by consensus,” Goganović explained.

He added that the entire process surrounding the video and its implementation could have been handled differently had Minister Zukan Helez discussed with his deputies who wished to participate in the project on a voluntary basis.

“Instead, an attempt was made to carry out this project in a deceptive manner. Naturally, the deputies did not give their consent, everything was done without their signatures,” Goganović told RTRS.

He assessed that the situation within the defence system reflects the state of affairs in BiH and said he would like to ensure that Armed Forces members receive everything they need.

Goganović further stated that official Sarajevo has never genuinely sought an agreement with Republika Srpska, arguing that it has relied on the OHR and the high representative, which is also the responsibility of the international community.

“Once we are treated as an equal interlocutor, with full respect for Republika Srpska and its interests, which must neither be neglected nor forgotten, since the lives of the finest Srpska sons are built into its foundations, can we reach an agreement that will be in the interest of all,” Goganović concluded.