At a time when the Republika Srpska Assembly is preparing to vote on the revival of Srpska's jurisdiction, U.S. officials design a diplomatic offensive in BiH.
SOURCE: SPUTNIK FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 10:27
In an interview with the Guardian, Derek Cholet, a senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said the United States was determined to regain Bosnia and Herzegovina from being "on the edge" amid "secessionist threats by Serbian nationalists and that sanctions were among the options which they are considering".
"We really tried to speed up some of our diplomatic efforts in order to try to bring Bosnia-Herzegovina back from the edge of the cliff," Cholet told the Guardian ahead of today's special session of the RS National Assembly.
He reminds that almost 26 years have passed since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and that there are currently more and more voices that speak of a potential return to the conflict or the great crisis with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"It worries us deeply," he said. He also states that he handed over Blinken's letter to Bosnian leaders, emphasizing that peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina is a priority for the American administration.
"This is an issue with which many people in this administration, from President Biden onwards, have a long relationship and have very strong personal feelings," Cholet said. According to him, the second topic of Blinken's letter was the threat of sanctions against political leaders, who, as he claims, allegedly threaten post-Dayton peace.
Serbian member of the Presidency of BiH, Milorad Dodik, the main target of that threat, stated that he personally couldn't care less about sanctions, but Cholet believes that they can still have an impact.
"I think we've seen some evidence that the leverage we have, which includes policies like sanctions, can be effective and can try to reshape behavior," said Antony Blinken, a senior adviser to US Secretary of State.
As for the possibility of strengthening the international military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which, according to the Guardian, currently has only a few hundred EU soldiers, Cholet said he did not want to "talk in advance about the discussions", but added that "we are exploring all options".
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