BiH has an obligation to align its stance on Ukraine with the EU

As the BiH news agency Patria reported last week, the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not join the European Union's statement on sanctions against Russia due to the illegal referendum held in Crimea. Spokesperson for the Delegation of the European Union to BiH, Andy McGuffie, told the BiH news agency Patria that EU diplomats would meet with their BiH counterparts this week to discuss the issue.

- While foreign policy is a matter for the competent institutions of BiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina has also committed through the Stabilisation and Association Agreement/Interim Agreement to increase its alignment with the European Union on foreign policy issues, and BiH's progress towards the EU is assessed in this context - McGuffie stated.

We remind you that last week, member of the BiH Presidency, Nebojša Radmanović, issued a statement clarifying his position, stating that the BiH Presidency did not join the European Union's statement on the political situation in Ukraine because there was no consensus among the members of the BiH Presidency during the consultation process, which is necessary in foreign policy matters.

At the session of the BiH Presidency on March 6, the political situation in Ukraine was discussed for the first time, and a Statement on the Political Situation in Ukraine was adopted by consensus, representing BiH's general foreign policy stance on this issue.

Incidentally, yesterday, the Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Bakir Izetbegović, spoke with the Russian Ambassador to BiH, Alexander Bocan-Harchenko, about the current political situation in BiH, as well as the crisis in Ukraine following the illegal referendum. Izetbegović stated on that occasion that BiH's position on this issue is based on foreign policy principles, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter, OSCE, and international law. Therefore, BiH advocates for mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for seeking peaceful solutions to all open issues.

Bocan-Harchenko emphasized that Russia respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH, and stated that the events in Ukraine and Crimea cannot be linked to BiH - according to a statement from the office of the Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Bakir Izetbegović.