PETKOVIĆ: I WILL NOT ATTEND THE MEETING, THE PIC HAS DONE NOTHING TO DE-ESCALATE THE CRISIS

BANJA LUKA, November 30 /SRNA/ - The Head of the Serbian Caucus in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Milan Petković, stated that he will not respond to the invitation to attend the PIC meeting, because the greatest post-war crisis in BiH was caused by the self-proclaimed High Representative, while the PIC has done nothing to de-escalate that crisis - on the contrary.

"Without dialogue between representatives of the peoples and the entities, and without their consensus, and with the continued practice of the High Representative, supported by the PIC, to make decisions - especially laws and amendments to laws - the situation can only deteriorate," Petković told SRNA.

Petković assessed that if domestic leaders and the representatives of the entities and peoples do not take over negotiations, assume responsibility, and reach a common consensus, BiH will continue to deepen the crisis due to the actions of Christian Schmidt through the PIC, as this has proven to be a generator of greater crisis rather than de-escalation.

He emphasized that Serb MPs insist on legality and on the decisions of the UN Security Council concerning the appointment of a High Representative as a prerequisite for participating in such meetings.

"We do not dispute the need for meetings and dialogue, but the issues of legality and consensus are the key reasons why the Serbian Caucus will not attend. BiH has its own constitutional institutions, and only they have the authority to make decisions," Petković concluded.

Luis Crishock, Supervisor for Brčko District, invited the heads of caucuses in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to a meeting of the PIC Steering Board, scheduled for December 2 in Sarajevo.