The European Union has addressed Serbia’s participation in the observance of the unconstitutional Day of Republika Srpska (RS), reiterating its expectations that Serbia remains committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) European perspective as a unified, sovereign state.
In light of Serbia’s officials attending the commemoration of the RS Day on January 9, the EU emphasized that regional cooperation and good-neighborly relations are essential for progress on the path toward European integration.
“Actions and statements that negatively impact good-neighborly relations and contribute to political divisions should be avoided,” a statement from the EU press service said.
The RS celebrates January 9 as its Day, a date regularly marked by Serbian representatives. This year, among others, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučićević and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić attended the event.
The Constitutional Court of BiH declared this date unconstitutional in 2015, ruling that while the RS has the right to a day of celebration, it cannot be held on January 9.
The EU further stressed that the observance of this date is unconstitutional. “The EU emphasizes that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order, including decisions by the Constitutional Court, and international identity of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be respected,” the statement added.
The EU urged the political leadership of Republika Srpska to refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions that deepen divisions and challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
Additionally, the EU called on all political actors in BiH to take decisive actions to implement necessary reforms to advance on the EU accession path.
The EU reiterated its full commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession as a united, sovereign country.
Earlier, High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, criticized the celebration of RS Day as a clear violation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s decisions and the High Representative’s decisions from July 1, 2023.
The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo also stated that it expects law enforcement and judicial authorities in BiH to take swift and decisive action to investigate any violations of law related to the celebration of the unconstitutional RS Day.
