Christian Schmidt warned of the danger of a "creeping disintegration" of BiH, pointing out that international community underestimated secessionist aspirations.
SOURCE: TANJUG WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021 | 23:59
High Representative of the international community also stated that he did not rule out the possibility of imposing sanctions on the Republika Srpska.
In an interview with the German "Deutschlandsfunk", Schmidt said that sanctions are currently being intensively discussed as a reaction to the aspirations for secession.
"It is conceivable that the conditions of every payment that arrives in Bosnia-Herzegovina should be conditioned, or that those who act contrary to the Dayton Agreement, that is, possibly direct funds into their own pockets, will be exposed to sanctions," he said.
Schmidt said that, as High Representative, he has the authority to decide on such measures.
"If it is a matter of preserving peace in this region and the country, and that has consequences for the neighbors, then all possibilities must be taken out of the drawer and put on the table," he said.
He pointed out that he has the so-called Bonn authorizations in his drawer and that he has the keys to get them out, and he does not rule out that he will use them.
He pointed out that he was grateful to the new chief of diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock, for saying that she could use those powers. Asked how close the secession of Srpska is, Schmidt said that it is not politically close yet.
"I do not believe that we see a big plan, one big strategy, but only attempts and the question of how far we can go, and that is a great danger and a creeping form of disintegration of the country," he emphasized.
He says that the secessionist aspirations of Milorad Dodik, who, he says, was "very constructive in his early years", cannot be seen without looking at the calendar.
"Elections will be held in Bosnia-Herzegovina next year, and Dodik, who is a member of the Presidency of BiH, also wants to pursue an election campaign policy in RS," he explained.
Asked about Russia's support for Srpska, he said that he did not attend the conversation between Dodik and Vladimir Putin, but also claimed that they were short, which still shows that Russia has great interest in RS.
Schmidt adds that it is a fortunate circumstance that in the entire region, with a special focus on Serbia, there is no interest in the escalation of the situation and the crisis, and that Russia wants to sell its energy to everyone.
Speaking about the European perspective, he said that Bosnia-Herzegovina did not fulfill any of the 14 items on the EU list. He claims that this has to do with the blockade of the government, with dysfunction, because some are pursuing a policy of "empty chairs" and a policy of destruction. He recommended that the EU initiate certain forms of intermediate steps.
Asked about U.S. President Joseph Biden and his knowledge of the Balkans, Schmidt said that he knows the region very well, and that he has a team that deals intensively with the Western Balkans and Bosnia-Herzegovina in particular.
"I think the Americans are also working on a joint strategy with the EU and the British", he explained, praising Britain's special engagement with its envoy, General Peach.
He said that he also got a good impression from Jack Sullivan, the U.S. envoy, but he repeated that several years had been wasted.
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