Russian role in BiH: Ivancov's brutal interference in the internal affairs of BiH

By: Haris Ljevo

The decision of the Constitutional Court BiH to reject the appellation of the Republika Srpska relating to the registration of immovable defense properties with the state, has provoked divided reactions in BiH.

One of those who promptly reacted to the decision was the Russian ambassador to BiH, Petar Ivancov.

- Most of the Republika Srpska population is against the membership in that military Alliance. Their goals and tasks in the current phase are neither simple nor clear for many people. The role of the Alliance during the times of conflicts in BiH and Kosovo and Metohija in the nineties, does not contribute to the confidence of Serb people either, Ivancov said in an interview with Vecernji List.

That's how Ivancov once again rendered direct support to those political forces in BiH which are fiercely opposing BiH joining NATO. Ivancov, as well as his predecessors, have repeated for years their standpoint that Russia is the stability factor and how it does not wish to meddle with the internal affairs of BiH.

In practice, their non-interference in the internal affairs of BiH policy has the following pattern: Russia keeps silent to any violation of the constitution, and reacts only to those decision which do not serve or suit Russia and its partners in BiH. Russian embassy promptly reacts to the issues relating to changes in the constitution, EU and NATO accession etc.

Ivancov has stated that Russia remains pro stable BiH and it supports everything that BH political parties agree to do, but he also communicated a very clear standpoint of Russia that OHR has to close down as it represents an obstacle to building confidence in BiH.

Notwithstanding its flaws, OHR remains the institution which has greatly contributed to building any relations in BiH, so asking to close it down is nothing but a direct meddling with the internal affairs of BiH and supporting retrograde forces.

The level of Russia's 'commitment to the progress of BiH' is best illustrated by Ivancov's concern with so-called Croatian issue in BiH. Previously, the Russian embassy nurtured a practice of reacting exclusively to the issue relating to the NATO and RS, and it shows tendency to get involved in solving the 'Croat issues'.

Why is that?

It is no secret that the RS president Milorad Dodik and the president of HDZ BiH Dragan Covic are strategic partners in the project of destroying of the state. Notwithstanding HDZ's declarative statements about the EU and NATO accession, HDZ's high officials have remained silent to strong reactions from the RS to the Constitutional court decision about the registration of immovable military property. To return a favor for a rather direct blocking of BiH's road to the NATO, the RS will support changes to the Constitution and the Electoral law. As the HDZ's proposal for changes to the Electoral law does not cross the entity border, Dodik and SNSD will not have any objections to it.

That's a good enough reason for the Russian ambassador to support HDZ in return for HDZ's silence to the registration of immovable property.

The president of HDZ 1990, Ilija Cvitanovic, warned Covic that he should not allow the Croats to get too close with Russia, but Covic would not listen. To reach his goal of creating a third electoral unit through which HDZ would acquire all so-called Croat position of power, Covic is ready to let Croats get close to the devil himself, let alone Russia, which Russia and its ambassador in BiH are readily using.

Russia is realizing its interests in BiH through Dodik and Covic, and all under the pretense of non-interference in the internal affairs of BiH. By giving direct support to Covic, it is (directly) slowing down BiH in the process of accession to the NATO and EU.

The Russian ambassador has the opportunity to share his opinions at PIC session, yet he seems to prefer to defend Russian interests and standpoints regarding BiH via pages of HDZ's unofficial journal.