Komšić: Who will remind Lavrov that there is a unanimous decision on BiH's entry into NATO

Željko Komšić, a candidate for the BiH Presidency, commented on the announced, then postponed, then re-announced and confirmed visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Komšić points out that it is an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in practice a visit to Milorad Dodik, who, on that occasion, "needs" to be presented as a person who has Russia's support.

- This visit is a message sent to two addresses, the electorate in the RS and the international community, primarily the Americans and the EU - Komšić adds.

- Since this is the case and since it is quite certain that the visit will take place, and that the message will be delivered, understood and accepted both in BiH and outside BiH, then it would be necessary and expedient to remind Minister Lavrov what he said and what message he sent to the BiH Presidency, of which I was a member, a few years ago, during one of his visits - Komšić believes.

He states that the then message of Minister Lavrov to the BiH Presidency was that Russia is in principle against the expansion of the NATO alliance, but if NATO is our choice, ours in BiH, Russia will respect such a decision of our country's institutions.

- And the decision of the institutions of this country, a unanimous decision of the BiH Presidency which has never been revoked, withdrawn or changed, that BiH wants to be a member of the NATO alliance, still exists today - Komšić reminded.

Komšić states that Lavrov should be asked if Russia still stands by those positions or if there has been a significant change in that stance.

- Unfortunately, knowing how things stand today and what the relations in the BiH Presidency are like, I highly doubt that anyone will ask such a question, or remind Minister Lavrov of the stance he presented then, or perhaps show him the minutes of that meeting. Of course, the big ones are big, they can change anything, including their positions in accordance with their interests. Those positions only bind them until they change the direction of their policy. In fact, at least that is our Bosnian-Herzegovinian experience, those words, those positions never and in no way and under no circumstances bind them. However, of almost the same importance as the stance presented by Minister Lavrov at the time, was the decision made by the then BiH Presidency, as the only body authorized and competent by the BiH Constitution, with a complete consensus, 3:0, that BiH is going to NATO - Komšić emphasized.

Komšić points out that we have reached a situation as a country where only one member of the Presidency today can remind Lavrov of his earlier stance.

- How we have reached a situation where today, on issues of existential importance for BiH, we have gone from 3:0 in favor of the country's interests to 2:1 against BiH's interests, and how we have reached a situation where we can only expect one member of the BiH Presidency to perhaps ask Lavrov what happened to the official position of Russia that he presented to the BiH Presidency at the time, is a separate story and problem. That is a problem, that is a story that should find its resolution in this year's elections - concluded Komšić.