CVIJANOVIĆ AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: The crisis in Bosnia was not caused by the Serbs, but by Schmidt! (VIDEO)

A session of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in New York. The session was addressed by the Chairperson of the Presidency of BiH, Željka Cvijanović, and High Representative Christian Schmidt.

Christian Schmidt: Everything stems from the reaction to the BiH Court’s ruling

At the beginning of the UN Security Council session on Bosnia and Herzegovina, High Representative Christian Schmidt stated that BiH is facing serious challenges, and that the current crisis is a reaction to the BiH Court’s ruling against RS President Milorad Dodik.

“The war brought bloodshed and the horrors of World War II back to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Dayton Agreement remains the fundamental document as it also contains the Constitution of BiH,” Schmidt said. He added that citizens are increasingly expressing concern about possible destabilization: “I assure them that there will be no war, but inflammatory rhetoric and the denial of the Srebrenica genocide undermine the very idea of BiH.”

Schmidt pointed out that after the verdict against Dodik, political responses followed in the form of the adoption of laws in the RSNA and calls for secession. Although it is not a security crisis, he assessed the situation as the most difficult since the signing of the Dayton Agreement.

At the end of his speech, he said that the international community must remain committed to the sovereignty and integrity of BiH, but that the future must come from within the country itself.

Nebenzya: Schmidt has no right to speak on behalf of the international community in the UN SC

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya stated that Christian Schmidt has no right to speak on behalf of the international community in the Security Council, and then left the room.

At the beginning of the session on the situation in BiH, Nebenzya expressed “principled disagreement with Schmidt attending this meeting in the capacity of the so-called High Representative.”

“The Security Council did not confirm him in that position. We would like to remind you that the issue of BiH is on the agenda of the Security Council in accordance with Article Seven of the UN Charter. There is a 25-year practice that we confirm the High Representative. This means that, without the necessary mandate from the Security Council, the position of High Representative is vacant,” the Russian Ambassador said.

Nebenzya emphasized that “Schmidt has no right to speak on behalf of the international community or to submit any documents to the Security Council.”

“The Security Council has a practice according to which it can listen to him as an individual. This is how we will interpret Schmidt’s presence today. However, since he has definitively discredited himself through attempts to impose influence in BiH and to do everything he can to destabilize the situation in the country, which is very tense, which I will talk about later, I do not intend to listen to his biased views,” Nebenzya emphasized.

The Russian Ambassador then left his seat at the UN Security Council table.

China: Against the use of Bonn powers

The Chinese Ambassador to the UN criticized Schmidt’s position, saying that the Security Council had not officially supported his appointment. According to China, the use of Bonn powers causes additional tensions.

“We call on all parties to refrain and act in accordance with the UN Security Council statement from March. There must be no interference in the internal affairs of BiH,” he said.

The Ambassador of Pakistan called for a peaceful resolution of conflicts and emphasized support for the integrity of BiH.

Željka Cvijanović: The crisis was not caused by Srpska, but by Schmidt

The Serbian member and Chairperson of the Presidency of BiH, Željka Cvijanović, addressed the Security Council, emphasizing that the crisis was not caused by Republika Srpska, but by Christian Schmidt.

She said that this is a decisive moment for BiH and immediately emphasized that she was speaking on behalf of the Serbian member of the BiH Presidency.

At the very beginning, she recalled the manner of the appointment of Christian Schmidt, whom Srpska does not recognize as the High Representative in BiH.

“He is at the heart of the constant crisis in BiH, the culmination of which we are witnessing today. No legal system can survive if interpretations of the law are exempt from the law itself,” Cvijanović said.

She recalled that Schmidt suspended the Constitution of the Federation of BiH in order to form the Government of the Federation of BiH, added that he intervened in the Election Law, extended the mandate of the CEC, and amended the Criminal Code to eliminate the President of RS from political life.

“The goal was to intimidate other elected officials who resist his decisions,” she said, adding:

“This is a dictatorship that does not pass the scrutiny of the courts. What began as oversight has turned into a system of repression.”

Cvijanović also said that Srpska respects Dayton and does not undermine it.

“Our goal is not to divide BiH,” she said.

The Serbian member of the BiH Presidency added that the current crisis was not caused by the RS, but was initiated by Schmidt.

“Schmidt’s illegal interventions and the accusation of the RS are one-sided,” she said, adding that she wants the mandate of the High Representative to be returned to its foundations, which is Annex 10, and for the ground to be prepared for the closure of the OHR.

She called on the UN Council to vote again on Schmidt’s mandate.