Bećirović wrote to the UN: Cvijanović's address is not in line with BiH's strategic foreign policy goals

(Patria) - BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) Evangelos C. Sekeris, and ambassadors of UNSC member states regarding the announced address by the BiH Presidency Chairperson Željka Cvijanović at today's UNSC session.

Read Bećirović's letter below:

Your Excellencies, regarding the announced address by the BiH Presidency Chairperson Željka Cvijanović at the UN Security Council session, which will discuss the current situation in BiH, as a member of the BiH Presidency, I wish to inform you of the following facts.

According to the BiH Constitution, the BiH Presidency, as the collective head of state, is responsible for determining and conducting the foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Members of the BiH Presidency are obliged to act in accordance with adopted state laws, strategies, and other acts that establish Bosnia and Herzegovina's strategic foreign policy goals as membership in the EU and NATO.

Unfortunately, the current Chairperson Cvijanović does not respect the adopted acts of the state bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Although it is the practice for the BiH Presidency Chairperson to address UN Security Council sessions, this time it is a specific situation, as the current BiH Presidency Chairperson Cvijanović is an active participant in anti-Dayton and secessionist activities aimed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The BiH Presidency has not made a decision regarding Chairperson Cvijanović's address at the mentioned UN Security Council session and her appearance on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Her address is not in line with the adopted strategic foreign policy goals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and does not represent the official state position of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but rather an abuse of the function of the BiH Presidency Chairperson.

The practice of the Government of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska submitting reports to the UN Security Council has no legal basis. UN bodies are addressed by member states, which are always states, not their administrative-territorial units.

The primary subject of international law is the independent, sovereign, and indivisible state of Bosnia and Herzegovina; entities are not authorized to independently create and implement foreign policy.

Abusing her attendance at the UN Security Council session, the BiH Presidency Chairperson Željka Cvijanović has unauthorizedly requested the BiH Mission to the UN to schedule her address at the UN General Assembly Plenary Session on May 5, 2025, although the BiH Presidency has not discussed this, nor has it made any decision.

Distinguished Excellencies, the leadership of the Bosnian Serb entity RS carried out the most serious attack on the constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Agreement at the end of February 2025.

At that time, a series of unconstitutional and anti-Dayton laws were adopted that threaten the peace, stability, and progress achieved in the previous 30 years. Unfortunately, the attack on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still ongoing.

The Constitutional Court of BiH has temporarily suspended these laws with its decisions. Despite this, the leaders of the RS entity continue to violate the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and threaten its constitutional order.

The Court of BiH has issued central arrest warrants for the president of the RS entity Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Višković, and the Speaker of the National Assembly of RS Nenad Stevandić, after they failed to appear for questioning by the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

The rule of law is the foundation of a democratic society in which no one can be above the law, and court decisions must be respected. The judicial system is the pillar of every democratic state, and its independence and integrity must remain unquestionable.

The anti-Dayton and dangerous policy of the RS entity leadership seriously threatens the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.

Distinguished Excellencies, I take this opportunity to express my high respect and gratitude to the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council for their continuous support to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for their commitment to preserving peace, stability, and collective security.