Scandal in Vienna: Ambassador Bencun displayed RS flag alongside state flag

(Patria) - The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria, Siniša Bencun, hosted the Minister of Economy of the Una-Sana Canton (USK) Samra Mehić, but public attention was drawn not to the meeting itself, but to a detail in the background of the photos taken on that occasion.

Namely, in the ambassador's office, alongside the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the symbols of the entity Republika Srpska are also visible.

Although it is the official flag of one of the entities, its display in a space that exclusively represents Bosnia and Herzegovina in a foreign country is considered unacceptable, writes Vijesti.ba.

Such a move by Ambassador Bencun, which is presumed not to be an isolated case among diplomats from the RS entity, is contrary to the Decision on the manner of conduct of employees in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH and diplomatic-consular missions, adopted in February 2022.



That decision, signed by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Bisera Turković, clearly stipulates that ambassadors and other state representatives use exclusively the state symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e., the flag, coat of arms, and anthem, in accordance with valid laws.

In addition to domestic regulations, such conduct is also linked to a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Article 20 of this convention states that the diplomatic mission and its head have the right to display the flag and coat of arms of the state they represent, which in this case means exclusively the symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina that regulate the use of the flag and coat of arms primarily relate to the external appearance of diplomatic mission buildings, which in practice has left room for ambassadors to decorate the interior according to their own criteria.

However, embassies are state property and spaces where the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be represented, not its entities.

A particular problem is the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina still has not adopted a Law on Foreign Affairs, which would more precisely regulate such issues and prevent similar situations in the future.