IGK on Russian Embassy: No one has the right to dictate to BiH authorities who they will meet with

(Patria) - The Institute for the Research of Genocide Canada (IGK) reacted to the threat from the Russian Embassy following a meeting held in the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the topic of the South Interconnection gas pipeline.

"The continuous anti-Bosnian statements by the Russian Embassy and threats to Bosnia and Herzegovina with a Ukrainian scenario represent unacceptable war messages and an open threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.

The IGK tells the Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina that it has no right to dictate to the Bosnian-Herzegovinian authorities who they will meet with and what topics they will discuss at those meetings. They remind the Russian Embassy that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign country, a member of the United Nations, which has its state bodies.

"The continuity of Russian attacks on the sovereignty of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be stopped. Russia should know that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina were dearly paid for with thousands of victims whose descendants know how to defend the achievements of the glorious Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which fought for the freedom of its country," they stated.

In a special letter, the IGK asked the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, for Canada to oppose the increasingly pronounced influence of Russia in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to support the complete exclusion of Russia from the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"A country that carries out a shameless aggression against another country, Ukraine, that kills children and shamefully destroys civilian facilities, a country being tried at the International Court of Justice, a country that threatens other countries, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has tragically experienced aggression and genocide, a country that supports anti-Bosnian elements, projects, and ideas cannot be of use for the implementation of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are talking about the increasingly aggressive approach of Putin's regime in Bosnia and Herzegovina and calling for a more active role for Canada in all meetings with Canadian political and academic officials," they said.

They remind that the IGK previously asked the Presidency of BiH to declare the Russian ambassador persona non grata due to such threats to a sovereign country, a member of the United Nations. Such a thing is practically impossible, given that Željka Cvijanović must also give her consent.