UN Security Council on BiH: US representative says end of international interventionism and tutelage is near

At a session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in New York, dedicated to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the representative of the United States of America (USA) Tami Bruce stated that the end of international interventionism and tutelage in BiH is approaching.

"The US believes that the next elected High Representative should work to transfer the responsibility for managing institutions to domestically elected politicians and must have both internal and international consensus," she said, outlining the US position.

Bruce added that the Office of the High Representative in BiH (OHR) was never meant to be a permanent mission, and that the next elected High Representative will have limited powers, BiH media reported.

She recalled that former Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik had resigned from office, and that laws that the US considered controversial had been withdrawn in RS, adding that general elections are being held in BiH in October.

Brus assessed that the international mission in BiH is moving towards a new phase, and that the position of High Representative will soon no longer be needed, adding that pragmatic solutions should be sought through agreement, not through dictate.

She emphasized that the US will assess candidates for the new High Representative in terms of trust and impartiality, and that America also has its own candidates if necessary.

Bruce told leaders in BiH to focus on pragmatic governance, not dramatic change.

The representative of Great Britain in the Security Council called on politicians in BiH to focus on the reform agenda, and the international community to support BiH on that path.

The Deputy British Ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, said that official London is concerned about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing that in an election year, it is important to "strengthen democratic resilience" and to use modern technology in elections.

"The Dayton Peace Agreement obliges us to respect the political independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH," he stressed.

Right at the beginning of the Security Council session, Russia objected to the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, attending, stating that he never had, nor does he have, the right to address the international community.

"He should not submit any documents to this Council. We demand that his words be taken as the personal view of a German citizen. Schmidt allegedly stepped down from a position he never held," stressed Anna Yevstingayeva, Moscow's deputy permanent representative to the UN.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia called for the immediate closure of the OHR, assessing that it has been privatized and is the main factor of instability in BiH.

"A protectorate was established in BiH. We had the illegal appointment of Kristijan Schmidt. He tried to accuse Republika Srpska of instability in BiH," Nebenzia said.

He accused Berlin, London and Paris of interfering in the internal affairs of BiH, which, he said, had brought instability.

"The West is sacrificing stabilization efforts. The implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement is being manipulated to disrupt peace for citizens," Nebenzia said.

"For those who tend to forget: in the 90s, we had Western actors who incited the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was contrary to preserving the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia," said the Russian ambassador to the UN.