RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS SHOULD EXAMINE LEGALITY AND CONSTITUTIONALITY OF LOBBYING CONTRACT

SARAJEVO, APRIL 14 /SRNA/ - Serbian ambassadors and consuls general of BiH have called on the relevant institutions to examine, in accordance with their jurisdictions, the legality and constitutionality of the contract engaging a lobbying firm in the United States, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers Elmedin Konaković.

In an open letter addressed to Konaković, the ambassadors and consuls general of BiH from the Serbian constituent people emphasized that this act is not only unlawful and unconstitutional, but also constitutes a direct circumvention of constitutionally defined procedures.

SRNA publishes the open letter from ambassadors and consuls general of BiH from the Serbian constituent people, addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers, in its entirety:

“We, the ambassadors and consuls general of BiH from the Serbian constituent people, feel both the need and the institutional duty to speak out clearly and decisively regarding the recent actions of Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković, which we consider a serious violation of the legal order and constitutional framework of BiH.

Without the knowledge or consent of the BiH Presidency, which, under the Constitution of BiH, is the sole institution responsible for conducting foreign policy, negotiating and concluding international agreements, their termination, and - subject to the consent of the Parliamentary Assembly - their ratification, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković unilaterally signed a contract engaging a lobbying firm in the United States, presenting this act as if he were acting on behalf of the state community of BiH.

Such behavior constitutes a flagrant violation of the BiH Constitution, usurpation of constitutional powers of the BiH Presidency, and a serious blow to the principles of legality, institutional integrity, and international credibility of BiH.

This act is not only illegal and unconstitutional, but also constitutes a direct circumvention of the constitutionally defined procedures. By signing an international contract without the authority or consent of the Presidency, Minister Konaković has undermined the constitutional order and violated the norms governing the lawful representation of BiH.

Moreover, through such irresponsible and arbitrary actions, Minister Konaković has directly exposed the individuals with whom he signed the contract, including U.S. citizens of BiH origin, to serious legal consequences.

A contract that is not legally grounded in the minister's authority can be considered void.

It should also be emphasized that the origin of the funds for lobbying is not clearly and transparently disclosed, which further places the signatories in a position of potential accomplices in corrupt activities and unlawful representation of state interests, with potential consequences under both international and domestic law.

We, Serbian ambassadors and consuls general of BiH, do not wish to be associated with such actions and are ashamed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers is led by a person who arbitrarily and without institutional coordination represents the state community on the international stage.

We do not agree to the practice of neglecting legal procedures for political or personal gain, nor do we accept that our colleagues in the diplomatic world view us through the lens of the irresponsible actions of a minister willing to circumvent the Constitution and the law.

Through this letter, we urge the relevant institutions to investigate, in accordance with their jurisdictions, the legality and constitutionality of the aforementioned agreement, as well as the accountability of the individuals who signed it.

Serbian ambassadors and consuls general of BiH /in alphabetical order/: Aleksandar Bogdanić, Aleksandar Vranješ, Aleksandra Mičić, Biljana Gutić-Bjelica, Bojan Vujić, Bojan Đokić, Bojana Kondić-Panić, Boro Bronza, Vera Sajić, Dragan Vuković, Dragan Jaćimović, Duško Kovačević, Željko Samardžija, Koviljka Špirić, Milorad Živković, Obrad Kesić, Siniša Bencun, Siniša Berjan, and Tatjana Telić."