Following the recent reactions from Republika Srpska regarding the visit of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia has issued its own statement.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić stated that Kurti’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina “undermines the foundations of relations between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and could lead to irreparable consequences for bilateral ties.”
Đurić addressed members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović and Šefik Džaferović, saying that “after the acceptance of Albin Kurti as a representative of the state of Kosovo, Serbia will no longer support any questions regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity in the future.”
He further stated that this decision “contradicts the internal organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the nature of good neighborly relations between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is fundamentally inconsistent with the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect between the two countries,” as reported by the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Unlike Serbia, which has never questioned Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity, either by words or actions, Sarajevo has officially shown that it does not recognize the territorial integrity of its closest neighbor,” Đurić added.
Kurti arrived in Sarajevo from Brussels yesterday. He began his visit in Sarajevo today with a series of meetings, including with two members of the Presidency of Bosnia, and also with the Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Refik Lendo. Additionally, he paid tribute at the Monument to the Children Killed in Sarajevo.
