Schmidt at the UN: BiH can fall into political instability, but this can be prevented by returning to the Dayton Agreement

(Patria) - An emergency session is being held in New York, where the UN Security Council, at the request of Russia, is considering the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

High Representative Christian Schmidt, in his address, stated that his mandate is to monitor the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace.

Schmidt emphasized that the Security Council has repeatedly expressed support for his work, and added that he is already looking forward to his report next month.

He then commented on the letter from the BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović, which he said does not respect the facts and legal framework of BiH.

- I hope you understand that this is not the place to talk about insults, this is the place to talk to each other. I call for more accuracy, and the only thing I see is malice - said Schmidt.

He also emphasized that he is the one who must be the guarantor of the existence of the entities, which are parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state with international subjectivity.

Stressing that Republika Srpska is an integral part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he warned that there are threats to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as representatives of Republika Srpska continuously talk about secession, the separation of the entity from the state.

- Dodik recently stated that Bosniaks can have 25 percent of the territory. Some have interpreted this as space for ethnic incidents. There are conscious efforts to question peace and security in BiH - said Schmidt, adding that Željka Cvijanović has also joined calls to block the administrative line of the entity.

- As High Representative, I believe that Bosnia and Herzegovina can fall into a state of political instability, but this can be prevented by returning to the Dayton Agreement, especially when the EU offers a path of integration. I believe that the crisis is caused by the leadership of Republika Srpska - stated the High Representative.

He underlined that the High Representative is an indispensable element of peace and will be there until the final phase of European integration, when the Dayton rules will be dissolved. Until then, BiH politicians must show reliability and commitment to multi-ethnic BiH and its territorial integrity.

- A letter, like the one we received from Cvijanović, does not fulfill the duty of those in responsible positions. We must talk about the people who are not addressing tonight, who are concerned about the future of BiH - Schmidt concluded in his address.