The German Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina has called the statements made by Milorad Dodik during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on September 9 “unacceptable and offensive,” particularly for their historical comparisons.
During his press conference, Dodik criticized the High Representative Christian Schmidt, stating:
“High Representatives have removed over 900 elected officials in BiH, two-thirds from Republika Srpska. Republika Srpska remained committed to the ‘letter’ of the Dayton Agreement, while the West used the so-called spirit of the agreement. For years, we have had an unnamed foreigner called Schmidt imposing decisions.”
In response, the German Embassy urged all parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to distance themselves from Dodik’s rhetoric and to cooperate respectfully with the international community.
The Embassy emphasized that Schmidt was nominated by Germany and selected by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council in full compliance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 1031 (1995) and 1144. Schmidt’s authority as the final decision-maker for implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement derives from Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), and his mandate has been regularly confirmed by the UN Security Council. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also explicitly recognized the High Representative’s authority.
