Professor Joseph: Russia does not want Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards NATO, Dodik follows that policy

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - We still have to see what the Agreement on the establishment of government in BiH means in terms of meeting the MAP criteria, I am skeptical whether it is an agreement that truly enables the achievement of the mentioned goal.

This was stated in an interview for Radio Free Europe by Edward Joseph, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, who was on international missions in the Balkans during and after the war.

"It is quite clear that Milorad Dodik follows Moscow's policy, and the last thing it wants is the region's progress towards NATO, especially after North Macedonia and Montenegro joined this Alliance, and then the loss of its influence in Greece. Therefore, the progress of BiH towards NATO is the last thing Russia wants, and Dodik will very carefully follow that line," Joseph believes.

Commenting on the statements from the Agreement on Principles for the Establishment of Government, which state that BiH will promote and improve relations with the North Atlantic Alliance, without prejudging future decisions regarding membership in this organization, Professor Joseph says:

"That is a very ambiguous message, which is why I am concerned. Promoting relations is mentioned, but that is not the purpose of the MAP. The criteria provided for by this document, i.e., reforms, need to be met. We will see if Republika Srpska, under the leadership of Milorad Dodik, will be ready for that."

Professor Joseph also commented on the crisis in BiH, stating that it began in 2006, with the departure of Paddy Ashdown from the position of High Representative in BiH.

He also believes that any attempt at secession from BiH would lead to war.

"Therefore, the disintegration of BiH without violence is unimaginable," Joseph stated in an interview for RSE.