UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS ABOUT BiH IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL - BEGINNING OF MAJOR CHANGES

BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 11 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska Senator Bogdana Koljević told SRNA that Russia's announcement of raising uncomfortable questions about BiH in the UN Security Council represents the beginning of major changes to come, and pointed to Russia's unequivocal support for the institutions of Srpska and its President Milorad Dodik.

First, she said, this means an almost absolute commitment of the Russian Federation, as well as other friends of Republika Srpska in the world, to permanently close the office of the non-existent High Representative and to end the Operation Althea. Koljević said that this is only a preliminary phase, after which a process of returning all unlawfully seized competencies to Republika Srpska would have to begin, assuming that Russia's upcoming attempt in the UN Security Council succeeds in demonstrating all violations of the Dayton Peace Accords and the link between Dayton as an international treaty and the UN Charter. "Without a doubt, if this course of action does not succeed, there will be other alternatives on the table for Republika Srpska. And in those as well, it will have the support of the Russian Federation," stressed Koljević, commenting on the results of the recent meeting of Srpska President Milorad Dodik with Russian officials in Moscow. She assessed that Russia's exceptional political support for the President of Srpska, as well as for all its institutions, is an expression of decades-long policy of friendship and understanding between Moscow and Banja Luka. Koljević added that this is based on the same vision of building a new world of equality, fairness and sovereignty, a world of law and genuine democracy in which there is no place for neo-colonial governance. "In this light, Russia's unequivocal support for the referendum in Republika Srpska logically follows from this same principled policy, because it is precisely the people who are the greatest bearers of the process of implementing sovereignist policies," said Koljević, who is also the President's foreign policy adviser. Speaking about the specifics of the meeting between the President of Republika Srpska and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is recognized by many objective experts in the West as perhaps the best foreign minister in the world, she noted that Lavrov held one of the longest press conferences ever. She also added that Lavrov emphasized that the meeting was held at the right time, since the liberal West is seeking to completely dismantle the Dayton Peace Agreement. "These particularities in diplomacy are no coincidence," Koljević assessed. She stressed that at a political moment when BiH finds itself in virtually the greatest self-induced crisis, on the border between existence and non-existence, mostly due to the irrational and shameless policy of the West, the announcement by the Russian Foreign Ministry that there will be uncomfortable questions about BiH at the UN Security Council session on October 31 is very significant. From a diplomatic standpoint, she said, Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council is relevant, given that the presiding country coordinates the actions of this body, decides on debate topics, and can also appear as a mediator between parties in conflict. Moreover, she pointed out, the work of the UN Security Council largely depends on the presiding country, which chairs the highest body responsible for international law, peace, and security, as the Security Council is the top organ of the UN.