SARAJEVO, 23. FEB. 2017 – Ambassadors of countries of Peace Implementation Council in Bosnia stressed after meeting in Sarajevo that they are concerned about the political situation in the country and that it is necessary to build the future on the basis of compromise and dialogue. Ambassador of Russian Federation to Bosnia-Herzegovina(BiH), Peter Ivantsov, who initiated the meeting, said to the media that only the ambassador of Turkey in BiH expressed a different viewpoint. “Of course it is not a secret, the Ambassador of Turkey refrained from one paragraph in the joint statement. That is a paragraph that discusses the concerns about the current situation in the country”, Ivantsov said after the meeting. According to the announcement issued after meeting, the Steering Board Ambassadors expressed concern about the serious political situation that has developed in BiH as a result of the initiative to request a revision of the 2007 ruling of the ICJ in the case of BiH against Serbia and Montenegro on the crime of genocide. They expressed concern about the potential impact on the functioning of the BiH Presidency, Parliament and the Council of Ministers, and urged steps towards improving the overall political atmosphere in the country. All political leaders should refrain from unilateral actions and return to the principles of compromise, dialogue and consensus in making decisions, as well as respecting the BiH constitution, institutions and the rule of law. The Ambassador of Turkey however, did not support the second paragraph of this article. “The Steering Board Ambassadors acknowledged the suffering caused by the genocide and other atrocities, and the rights of the victims and survivors, and reiterated the need for further efforts towards reconciliation and good relations in the country and the region. Tolerance, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence are absolute requirements of civilizations founded on rights and freedoms, democracy and equality. They are also key prerequisites to build on the achievements made in BiH in the last two decades, to move ahead with the reforms required for improving the lives of citizens and offering concrete opportunities for younger generations”, the PIC SB says in the announcement. That there is reason for concern about this situation has also been made clear to the International Court of Justice in Hague. This institution received the application for revision of lawsuit of BiH against Serbia for genocide and a letter of BiH state Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Crnadak, who informed the Court that the application is not legal. Crnadak told to media in Sarajevo that the BiH Ambassador in The Hague Mirsada Colakovic, following instructions by the Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, refused to deliver the letter which had been sent to the ICJ in a sealed envelope. “Myself and the Party of Democratic Progress, in which I am a vice-president, want peace and stability in the region, economic reforms, struggle against corruption, and a BiH quick path to the EU. But, we will not allow anyone to take away our rights and competences belonging to us”, Crnadak said at a press conference in Sarajevo. But that is not the end of the paradoxical events. Chairman of BiH Presidency, Mladen Ivanic, as he had announced, scheduled an extraordinary session about this matter for Thursday, but the session ended so quick that journalists didn’t have enough time to prepare the questions. Ivanic and Izetbegovic held separate press conferences only to blame each other for the situation in which the country is currently in. It is interesting that Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, has yet to give a statement in this case. As Ivanic told the media, Covic left the Presidency session right after Izetbegovic because he didn’t want to vote about any conclusion with one member absent from the session.
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