Konaković asks Komšić and Bećirović to dismiss BiH Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Vranješ

(Patria) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković called on members of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić to dismiss the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vranješ by urgent procedure, following a scandalous statement that brought him into the public spotlight.

Members of the BiH Presidency Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović earlier today requested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH to urgently summon the ambassador for consultations regarding his statement – expressing gratitude to the Director of BIA Aleksandar Vulin for granting scholarships to two female students who glorified convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.

"I saw today in the media that members of the BiH Presidency Bećirović and Komšić sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH, which arrived late in the afternoon at the Ministry, and that we are actually being asked to summon Ambassador Vranješ for consultations," Konaković confirmed.

He added that the Ministry had established contacts and that Ambassador Vranješ responded and refused to come to the headquarters in Sarajevo for any talks, recalling that his predecessors, ambassadors appointed as cadres by the member of the BiH Presidency from the Serbian people, behaved similarly.

In this context, Konaković emphasizes that Komšić and Bećirović could have personally summoned Ambassador Vranješ, stating that as members of the BiH Presidency they have the right to call for consultations.

"Members of the Presidency have previously summoned ambassadors for talks/consultations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that sense serves only for technical support," says the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH.

He said that this letter was actually not even necessary, stating that he proposes that members of the Presidency Bećirović and Komšić dismiss Ambassador Vranješ by urgent procedure.

"I remind you that this is a person who has had similar statements before. They voted for his appointment, and since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH has no jurisdiction regarding sanctions against ambassadors, only members of the Presidency as a collective body can do that," Konaković stated.

Vranješ refused to come to Sarajevo after consultations with member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović. A little later, Milorad Dodik published a photo with Vranješ, noting that Vranješ responded to him.

Позвао сам амбасадора на консултације, мени се одазвао. pic.twitter.com/Oz6AssPCFX

— Милорад Додик (@MiloradDodik) July 28, 2023