Accidental passerby in a targeted diplomatic scandal: Lagumdžija's attack on Komšić proves Bećirović how wrong he was!

By: Rasim Belko

When the views of BiH Ambassador to New York Zlatko Lagumdžija, pro-HDZ commentator from that city Ivica Puljić, and Croatian President Zoran Milanović and SNSD and HDZ BiH cadres align, it is clear that something is seriously wrong in BiH diplomacy.

However, those who seriously deal with diplomatic issues knew that Lagumdžija would not be a good fit when member of the Presidency Denis Bećirović wrongly appointed him to that position.

Because Zlatko Lagumdžija's problem lies in the fact that even after so many years of experience, he has not understood that he is not the head of diplomacy or politics, but an executor of orders and a follower of the policies of Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutions responsible for foreign policy.

The key institution in this is the BiH Presidency, so Lagumdžija's attack on the speech of the BiH Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić at the UN General Assembly is a kind of act of rebellion, which deserves nothing but the punishment that rebellion deserves.
The psychological problem Lagumdžija has, because he clearly does not understand that he is no longer Komšić's superior as he was in the SDP and that he is not the head of diplomacy, but a part of it, is a difficult problem to solve, and it is not impossible that if Lagumdžija remains ambassador, this will continue to happen.

And this is primarily Denis Bećirović's problem, who since taking office has been trying hard to prove to the public that he is a patriotic and pro-Bosniak member of the Presidency, and now he has an ambassador to the UN who attacks the state institution in defense of neighbors more than Milanović, Dodik, and others do. Therefore, it would be wisest for Bećirović to propose a new ambassador to the UN as soon as possible and try to repair the damage his appointment has already seriously caused.

Because, in criticizing Komšić's speech, Lagumdžija refers to Bećirović's and Konaković's visit to Zagreb, emphasizing that they had serious talks there, while at the same time forgetting that the president and members of the Croatian Government have not been to Sarajevo for a long time, but they have been to Široki Brijeg, Grude, Mostar, awarded the perpetrators of the Joint Criminal Enterprise, and so on.

However, the desire for cooperation with the destroyers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is clearly Lagumdžija's old ailment, so it is not surprising that his comments on Komšić's speech are very similar to the comments of Milorad Dodik, who said from Belgrade: “Everything he said, he said exclusively as his own position. This is not the position of BiH”. Lagumdžija's message is identical.

The Center for Security Studies also assesses Lagumdžija's statement as fatal to the reputation of BiH diplomacy.

“Two glaring examples from the aforementioned appearance vividly illustrate all the inconsistency and political manipulativeness of the said ambassador in relation to the trust placed in him to consistently represent his country on the international stage. The first is the unnecessary public disclosure of the fact that he was not previously informed about the speech of the BiH Presidency Chairman, Mr. Komšić, at the UN General Assembly plenum. This, despite the political and personal animosities between the three leading officials representing us at the Assembly, is not information that should have been made public for the sake of the coherence of the BiH delegation. Also, comments on certain parts of Komšić's address, especially the statement 'if I had addressed instead of him, I would not have said that,' represent a devaluation of the official head of the BiH delegation, and thus a serious damage to BiH's reputation.”

And it is difficult, almost impossible, to find examples of similar behavior by ambassadors of serious countries towards their heads of state. Therefore, it is up to Lagumdžija's direct superior, Elmedin Konaković, the head of diplomacy, to show decisiveness in working to improve the reputation of our diplomacy, which he talks about on every occasion. And the only punishment for rebellion and attack on the institution of the BiH Presidency, and publicly at that, is a request for his withdrawal and the nomination of another candidate.

Because, if this continues, Lagumdžija will follow the path of ambassadors controlled by Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović, creating scandals that erode even the little reputation our diplomacy has.

Lagumdžija does not have to agree with Komšić, but he must respect that he is the head of the parade and that the interest of both is Bosnia and Herzegovina, not the defense of Croatia and Serbia and their cadres.

And the fact that Komšić presented the truth that Lagumdžija, Puljić, Poskok.info, and Kurir cannot and do not want to see is not Komšić's problem, but Lagumdžija's, who is clearly wearing the wrong diplomatic jersey.

And of course, Bećirović's, who gave him the jersey!