REQUEST FOR MACUT’S PLANE TO FLY OVER BiH SENT ON SEPTEMBER 11; KONAKOVIĆ’S CLAIMS EXTREMELY MALICIOUS

BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 14 /SRNA/ – The Government of Serbia has denied claims by Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers of BiH, that the request for permitting the plane carrying Serbia’s Prime Minister Đuro Macut to travel to Banja Luka for marking the Day of Unity of Serbs, Freedom and the National Flag was submitted only a few minutes before the scheduled departure.

The Serbia’s Government said that the request was submitted as early as September 11 and that Konaković’s claims were extremely malicious and untrue, and in no way contributed to good-neighbourly relations or improved cooperation in the region. It pointed out that the official request for the aircraft to fly over BiH was submitted more than 72 hours before the scheduled flight, when the Serbia’s Embassy in Sarajevo forwarded it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers. The request contained, in accordance with the established customary procedures, all details of the planned flight, including notification of the exact departure time and the return flight from Banja Luka. The Serbia’s Government added that the flight from Belgrade had been scheduled for today at 5:00 p.m. Along with its statement, the Government also provided the request submitted by the Serbia’s Embassy in Sarajevo, which shows that it was sent on September 11. Earlier today, BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković stated that he had rejected the request for the aircraft carrying Serbia’s Prime Minister Đuro Macut to fly over BiH on its way to Banja Luka because the request had not been submitted on time.