Dodik: Bisera Turković violates the Constitution, the Presidency is competent for foreign policy

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Milorad Dodik addressed the media today in East Sarajevo until conditions are met to address them in the BiH Presidency building or adequate space for journalists is provided. Dodik gave his view on today's sessions of the BiH Presidency, which discussed several different issues.

Regarding the pandemic, the members of the BiH Presidency concluded that the pandemic is not subsiding and is persisting in the region and in BiH.

"It is uncertain how the situation will unfold during the winter. BiH, through the consent of the BiH Presidency, joined the Global Alliance for Vaccine Procurement. Therefore, it was necessary for the Council of Ministers to do everything to ensure we are not outside this process. This does not prevent vaccines from being procured from other sources," said Dodik.

Another topic was the State Department report, which found delays in the implementation of the strategy to combat human trafficking.

"The RS has created a network of people who dealt with this issue, which has not succeeded in six cantons in the FBiH, and that is why we received a negative assessment and risk being placed in a lower category, which would mean we could no longer use funds from the US. The biggest objections relate to the work of the judiciary regarding the sanctions imposed on networks involved in this. We cannot ask anything from the judiciary except to appeal for stricter sanctions and to join the Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking," stated Dodik.

He said that the item on the Reform Plan for cooperation with NATO was removed from the agenda and that there is no agreement on the formation of a Commission because entities from FBiH want it to be called the Commission for NATO Integration, while entities from RS demand it be called the Commission for Cooperation with NATO.

Regarding extraordinary sessions, Dodik said that his request to move the BiH embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was rejected because Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović voted against it.
On the next item, recognizing Kosovo, which Komšić requested, Dodik pointed out that Džaferović and Komšić voted in favor.

"Further procedure is that this item will be put on the agenda again at the next regular session. I will raise a vital national interest. So far, there has been speculation, some say we should recognize it, some say we shouldn't, we all have some sympathies or antipathies, and I believe we will have a decision that Kosovo will not be recognized because it is a decision made through a valid procedure," said Dodik.

Dodik also commented on the work of the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bisera Turković, stating that she unauthorizedly, without seeking consent which she was obliged to do, ignored the Presidency and gave consent for BiH to join the fight against cybercrime through the Council of Europe.

"She is violating the Constitution and establishing new practices. We Serbs have a significant number in diplomatic-consular representations (DKP), and if decision-making is not returned to the Presidency, which is solely competent for foreign policy, there will be this game. Then the 16 heads of DKP from the Serb people will start behaving in accordance with the interests of the Serb people. I think Bisera Turković contributes the most to the deterioration of relations in BiH, and that is the policy of SDA," he emphasized.

He said that his visit to Zagreb and meetings with Zoran Milanović and Andrej Plenković were previously arranged.

"We discussed the political situation, the economic situation, bridges, and increasing the number of border crossings or bridges for the transport of goods. Trgovska Gora was one of the topics. My closest associates are working on this issue. We will try to persuade the Croatian authorities to change it. The meeting had the character of a working visit," he said.

There was no word with which I would criticize anyone, I said that BiH can count on its future in the context of approaching the original Dayton.

"I told both the President and the Prime Minister that the Dayton Agreement has been desecrated in a way that its signatories (Croatia and Serbia) are excluded from the Peace Implementation Council. What is the solution? Primarily, to preserve peace, dialogue without international mediation, and respect for everyone's position," he added.