Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency member Denis Bećirović warned at the United Nations General Assembly that the current leadership of Republika Srpska poses a threat to the peace and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Bećirović spoke about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and also criticized Serbia over the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.
Bećirović described Serbia’s glorification of Mladić as particularly dangerous, stressing that the former Bosnian Serb military commander was convicted by an international tribunal.
“It is particularly dangerous that the leadership of the Republic of Serbia glorifies convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. Ratko Mladić is not a hero, but a convicted war criminal. The institutional glorification of this war criminal is unacceptable,” Bećirović said.
He also called on the international community to condemn what he described as Serbia’s conduct and to take measures against those who glorify convicted war criminals.
“Unfortunately, the ideology and policies that led to the genocide against Bosniaks continue to threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina. From the podium of the UN General Assembly, I want to publicly warn the international community that the current leadership of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska continues to threaten the peace and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region,” Bećirović said.
He further stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s strategic objectives include membership in the European Union and NATO, while warning that political pressure and efforts to obstruct the functioning of state institutions continue.
The issue of Serbia’s treatment of Mladić was also raised by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković during the same UN General Assembly session. In his speech, Plenković emphasized the importance of international law and recalled Croatia’s experience of aggression and occupation during the 1990s.
Plenković also criticized official and military honors reportedly given to Mladić in Serbia, describing such acts as an insult to victims and incompatible with European values, according to the statement cited in the report.
The remarks by Bećirović and Plenković come during the 81st UN General Assembly, whose general debate is taking place in New York from September 22 to 26, with an additional sitting on September 28.
