Russian Ambassador Ivantsov: High Representative no longer needed in BiH

Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Petar Ivantsov says the High Representative of the international community should be abolished and states that the new EUFOR mandate should be without a Euro-Atlantic perspective, reports the Patria news agency.

In an interview with the Vienna daily "Standard", he asked "why should BiH, which is a sovereign state, have a 'lord protector'".

-I do not believe that a country can become an EU member if it is not governed by elected institutions, but by someone from outside. That is why we are of the opinion that this function should be abolished. Much of what the High Representative does these days is micro-management. It is good that the Bonn Powers have not been used since 2011... Therefore, there is no reason for him to remain, Ivantsov stressed.

He recalled that the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) decided back in 2006 to close the Office of the High Representative in 2007, but additional conditions later emerged.

The Russian diplomat points out that the abolition of the High Representative is possible by a simple decision of the PIC, adding that there is no consensus on this.

-Technically, it is not possible, but it would be a good way to celebrate two decades since the Dayton Agreement, Ivantsov emphasizes.

Regarding the international EUFOR mission, he said that Russia still considers it to have an important role and has nothing against extending its mandate.

He emphasized that Moscow believes BiH has a broader perspective than the EU and NATO, indicating that Russia proposes extending the EUFOR mandate without a Euro-Atlantic perspective.

-We will say that it should be a short resolution, perhaps with a reference to the Dayton Agreement, since this year we mark 20 years since its signing, Ivantsov announced.