Mehmedovic calls on Russian ambassador to leave Bosnia and Hercegovina

Following the recent statement of the Russian ambassador to Sarajevo on the possible partition of Srpska Republic, SDA’s deputy chairman, Semsudin Mehmedovic urged for protests and official reactions against him. The SDA’s deputy in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina called on BiH relevant institutions to declare the Russian ambassador to BiH, Igor Kalabukhov, a persona non grata., and for large-scale protests in front of the Russian embassy until Kalabukhov leaves BiH.

“I call for the Russian ambassador to BiH, Igor Kalabukhov be declared persona non grata and large protests in front of the Russian embassy until the ambassador leaves the country. There should be a mandatory deportation from BiH for him, or at least any communicating with him to immediately be stopped,” Mehmedovic said.

In a statement to The Geopost, Mehmedovic confirmed that his request against Russian ambassador is unequivocal and that the only solution to the harmful statement of the Russian ambassador is his immediate departure from Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Igor Kalabukhov, fueled tensions in Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) with his statements over the position of Republika Srpska. In an interview for Radio Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), Ambassador Kalabukhov said that he did not see any issue when it comes to ​​Milorad Dodik’s ideas on succession. Kalabukhov said that a possible partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an issue of politicians, democratic decisions and that Russia will support it, if that’s agreed in the dialogue.

Kalabukhov said he could not talk about the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the process of returning competencies from BiH to Republika Srpska (one of the two entities in BiH), noting that it is a matter of the political process and the governing bodies of the entities.

He stressed that in the talks for resolving the crisis in BiH, he supports the idea that all decisions should be adopted through dialogue, in communication between entities, which should decide how to find the most optimal way out of the current situation.

Russia believes that RS has raised the issue of regaining jurisdiction within the framework of the democratic process, and Ambassador Kalabukhov stresses that the powers transferred to BiH have been placed under pressure from the international community.

Kalabukhov said that the Russian position is that there is no Hight Representative in BiH, because according to them, the procedure for the appointment of Christian Schmidt has not been respected.

“As the guarantor of the Dayton Agreement, we are members of the Peace Implementation Council, but we do not work in the Office of the Hight Representative while Christian Schmid is there. We do not support any official contact with Mr. Schmidt”, said Kalabukhov.