Russia and China at the UNSC on Bosnia and Herzegovina: The resolution on Srebrenica is a threat to security

Russia's Ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said that "the presentation of the document on the tragic events in Srebrenica without the consent of all entities directly contradicts the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a serious violation of Dayton and the UN Security Council resolution".

"We believe that this provocative text is a threat to peace and security in the country and the entire region," said the Russian envoy and pointed out that Germany is behind the initiative - a country that started two world wars and committed genocide in the 20th century'', reports Srna.

Speaking about the situation in BiH, he pointed out that German citizen Christian Schmidt has no right to speak in the UN Security Council, that he is deceiving the entire international community and pointed out that "ignoring the interests of the Serbs, who live in this country and whose autonomy makes it difficult to implement the interests of the West bypasses the authority of the BiH Presidency".

"The Republika Srpska and the Serbs in BiH are ostracized in their own country, accused of separatist aspirations, they are given all kinds of labels, including that they are a genocidal nation. The principles of democracy and inclusive democratic process have been thrown out the window when it comes to BiH," said the Russian ambassador.

He said that Schmidt's illegal actions cause unparalleled damage to inter-ethnic relations in BiH and that his participation discredits the UN Security Council, and that his so-called reports are extremely subjective and do not reflect reality.

"He is deceiving the entire international community. We are convinced that the goal of stabilizing the situation in BiH would be fulfilled by the quick and unconditional closure of the Office of the so-called High Representative," said Nebenzya. 

Deputy Ambassador of China to the UN, Geng Shuang, stated that there are currently numerous disagreements regarding the proposed resolution on Srebrenica, which is not in accordance with the reconciliation process in BiH and the region, and that Beijing hopes that all involved parties will strengthen communication and promote appropriate solution to that question.

Geng reminded that China has already called on the key sponsors of the resolution to engage with key parties and to hold full consultations with the members of the UN Security Council in order for the process to take place on the principle of consensus.

"Currently, there are numerous disagreements regarding the resolution, which is not in accordance with the process of reconciliation in BiH and among the countries of the region, nor with the desire to achieve peace and stability in the Balkans and in Europe. We hope that the involved parties will strengthen communication and promote an appropriate solution to this issue," said Geng.

Geng believes that multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina must rely on "all ethnic groups" to strengthen unity in order to achieve social stability and economic growth, along with the trust in achieving a common goal.

He noted that China's position on the so-called high representative remains unchanged.

"Christian Schmidt used Bonn's powers to impose laws and thus only increased tensions. The arrangement in which the BiH Presidency jointly makes decisions is also at risk," he said.

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said that the stability of BiH is key to preventing conflicts and maintaining stability and peace in the region and in Europe, and reminded that the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement ended the war in BiH "almost 30 years ago".

Wood believes that the OHR "is still crucial in ensuring the implementation of the civilian aspect of the Dayton Agreement and ensuring the continuation of the functioning of institutions in BiH".

He also pointed out that Washington agrees with the fact that the opening of negotiations on the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union is "a factor that changes the situation regarding the possibilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina".

Deputy British Ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, said that the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina should choose their own future, and that Great Britain supports the ambition for greater Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kariuki pointed out that politicians should work together on reforms and accused some politicians in Republika Srpska of, as he stated, "making efforts to undermine the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina", and stated that he believes that they are "the main threat to the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina".

The British representative supported the work of the OHR and called on all parties in BiH to "cooperate with the office of Christian Schmidt".

The EU ambassador to the UN, Stavros Lambrinidis, expressed on behalf of the European bloc his concern about the initiatives coming from Republika Srpska and accused the Srpska authorities of "fighting against the European path of BiH".

He expressed his concern about the initiatives from the Republika Srpska, among which, as he stated, "secessionist rhetoric", as well as the issue of referendums and elections, the fight against the work of the Constitutional Court and the declaration of certain groups as foreign agents.

He also said that freedom of expression, pluralism, media freedom and the activities of civil organizations are the key to getting closer to the Union and said that the constitutional order, the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH must be respected, and that any step against the above leads to serious consequences.

The representative of Slovenia, Marko Štucin, said that during the previous months BiH made much more progress on the road to the EU than during the past decade, but that this positive momentum needs to continue, as there is still a lot of work to be done on the road to membership.

"In the coming months, BiH faces two key challenges - how to raise the standards for the implementation of local elections this fall and how to support its public institutions to ensure their uncompromised functionality," Štucin assessed.

The Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, said that BiH achieved an important step when Brussels made the decision to open negotiations for EU accession, as well as that it is important that the UN Security Council extends the mandate of the "Altea" mission in November.

Bećirović stated that the authorities of Republika Srpska interpret, as he says, selectively the Dayton Agreement and believes that Christian Schmidt's decisions must be implemented in the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"They threaten peace and stability. For years, they have been undermining the fundamental decisions from Dayton and carrying out legal violence," Bećirović said.

Bećirović, who is also a Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also denied the claim that a "genocide" was committed against Bosniaks in Srebrenica in July 1995, but also that high representatives brought "important interventions so that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina could live in peace".