Ambassador Bencun summoned for talks at Austrian MFA over Dodik's statements

(Patria) - In light of recent verbal attacks by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik on Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS), BiH Ambassador Siniša Bencun was summoned today to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna, Austrian media report.

"In the context of recent statements by Milorad Dodik, the Ambassador of BiH has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dodik's actions endanger the stability, constitutional order, and territorial integrity of BiH," the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on platform X.

Vor dem Hintergrund der rezenten Aussagen von Milorad Dodik, Präs. der Entität Republika Srpska, wird der Botschafter von Bosnien &Herzegowina ins Außenministerium zitiert. Dodiks Handlungen gefährden die Stabilität, verfassungsrechtliche Ordnung & territoriale Integrität von 🇧🇦.

— MFA Austria (@MFA_Austria) May 2, 2025

In March, the BiH Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for separatist ultranationalist Dodik and two other high-ranking politicians from Republika Srpska. Since then, Dodik has not been allowed to enter Austria, writes Austrian ORF, as reported by Faktor.

In interviews, Dodik criticized Minister Meinl-Reisinger's visit to Sarajevo in early April. He spoke of "idiot ministers" in Austria.

"If a minister who has been in office for only a few days travels to Sarajevo and succumbs to the atmosphere of back-patting, it shows that there are also dubious ministers in Austria," Dodik said.

Furthermore, in an interview with the online edition of the magazine "Profil," Dodik stated that "the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs probably believes she belongs to a superior race".

"She doesn't. I will do everything to ensure that our Serbian community in Austria organizes itself and expresses its will," ORF quoted Dodik as saying.

Helmut Brandstätter, head of the NEOS delegation in the European Parliament, has already stated that Dodik's verbal attacks particularly harm Serbs.

"It shows that he is cornered. Dodik's insults were unbearable and an incredible audacity," Brandstätter told APA.