MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The political leaderships of Russia and Republika Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH) are on the same page regarding the situation in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.
"We are well aware of the situation in Republika Srpska, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and both our and your political leaderships’ assessments of this situation are absolutely the same," the president said in response to a question from a journalist from Republika Srpska about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which she dubbed as "a de facto Western protectorate."
Commenting on her remark that no Russian media operate in Republika Srpska against the backdrop of numerous Western outlets, Putin said, "As for Russian media, of course, it is a pity there are not any of them there."
In response to the president’s follow-up question if RT (Russia Today) is transmitted there, the journalist answered in the negative.
"We should contemplate this," he said, adding that he would consult some officials to "see what can be done in this field."
"As for the future [of that region], the people living in that territory should decide on their future," Putin continued. "Whatever decisions from the past or the present could be imposed on those who live on one or another territory, eventually, as long as we want to live in a balanced world that meets the interests of all people, primarily those living on this or that territory, we have to respect those people’s feelings, plans and aspirations."
"We will be building our policy in that region of BiH, Republika Srpska, based on these principles," Putin concluded.
Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Under the constitution, proposed in the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (known as the Dayton Agreement), signed in Paris on December 14, 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities: the Muslim/Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (about 51% of the country) and Republika Srpska (about 49% of the territory), as well as the Brcko District. The country is essentially governed through a high representative of the international community (the position established under the Dayton Agreement), who is appointed by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina after approval by the UN Security Council.
However, in May 2021, the ambassadors of the Steering Committee’s member states decided to appoint Christian Schmidt as the new High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina without the UN Security Council’s approval. Currently, Republika Srpska’s leadership does not recognize Schmidt’s legitimacy and intends to withdraw its consent to have a common army and a common judicial and prosecutorial council of Bosnia and Herzegovina.