WEST'S HYPOCRISY TOWARD BiH REFLECTED IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONS STORY

Thirty years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the situation has reached a point where the internationals believe they can do anything they wants in BiH; along with this come various calculations - what and when, emphasized Kalabukhov. Interviewed by: Dubravka Blagojević

SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 31 /SRNA/ – Russian Ambassador to BiH Igor Kalabukhov cited in SRNA interview that Russia advocates for the closure of the Office of the High Representative /OHR/ because it has become an instrument for issues unrelated to the Dayton framework, such as European integration, emphasizing that the hypocrisy of the West toward BiH is reflected in the fact that the OHR promotes European integrations, while one of the preconditions for those integrations is the closure of that same office. According to Kalabukhov, in order to fulfill certain conditions, such as European integrations, the international community, namely the EU, exerts pressure on BiH through various demands. "We hear a lot about independence and sovereignty, but in reality, the process of European integration has unfortunately turned into selling independence and sovereignty for certain financial tranches or assistance," Kalabukhov stressed in his SRNA interview. He pointed to the contradiction between the OHR and the European integration process. "The OHR promotes European integrations, while one of the requirements for European integrations is to close the OHR. This leads to a hypocritical situation, which they are aware of," the Russian ambassador said. EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONS PROCESS HAS TURNED INTO SELLING INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY Asked about the ultimate goals of the political pressure from parts of the international community on BiH, which has caused long-term stagnation, Kalabukhov said that this is a complex question with many details and consequences. "Thirty years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the situation has reached a point where the internationals believe they can do whatever they wants in BiH; along with this come various calculations - what and when," Kalabukhov said. EU HAS BECOME RADICAL AND PIRATICAL SECT He added that, before, BiH's accession to the EU might have had a positive effect on the overall situation, but that this is a matter of BiH's foreign policy priorities, which is not his domain. "However, my personal view of the EU is that it has turned into a radical and even piratical sect, where marginal members dictate the terms. The EU is in a deep economic and political crisis," Kalabukhov said. He stated that the EU, faced with the inability of its economies to finance the war in Ukraine, prolongs Ukraine's existence as an anti-Russian project and seizes Russian assets, while blackmailing its member states to fund the Ukrainian conflict from their national budgets if they refuse to support the confiscation of Russian property. "The reality of the EU has changed in terms of decision-making and voting; there will no longer be consensus. When a new member joins and wants to express its own view, it will be told: `No, you don't matter, because the powerful ones decide.` And if we look globally, it is clear even to the naked eye, that the EU is in crisis," Kalabukhov noted. THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT – THE ONLY BASIS FOR BiH'S PROGRESS Speaking about attempts to revise the Dayton Peace Agreement three decades after its signing, the Russian ambassador emphasized that the document remains the only viable foundation for seeking progress in BiH. He noted that the fundamental principles of the Dayton Peace Agreement are the equality of the three constituent peoples and the two entities within BiH, which must be respected. "The Dayton Peace Agreement is not perfect, but it is a product of its time. It is necessary to use all the opportunities embedded in it and find ways to improve the economy. Everything depends on the attitude of the people and the politicians - if they are wise, they can make use of even something imperfect for their own benefit; if they are not, they can spoil even the most ideal solution," Kalabukhov concluded.