MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which oversees the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, needs to be revised and is outdated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Glas Srpske newspaper.
The 1995 Dayton Agreement is a peace deal that put an end to the longstanding conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under the agreement, two autonomous entities within the country, Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, were created. The OHR oversees the civilian implementation of the deal. To date, all high representatives for Bosnia and Herzegovina were from the European Union member states, and the position is currently occupied by Austrian diplomat Valentin Inzko.
"What really needs to be revised is the existence of the Office of the High Representative. No one can dispute the fact that this mechanism of external control was supposed to be a purely temporary measure. In 2006, a decision was made to close it, but its implementation is constantly being postponed under various pretexts," Lavrov said.
The top Russian diplomat added that the OHR was not only outdated but also humiliating for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the country did not need external "supervision."
"It is time to end with this. All responsibility for the future of the country belongs only to its people," the Russian minister said.
At the same time, Lavrov mentioned that there was no need to revise the Dayton agreement, amid calls "from abroad" to adopt changes to the peace accord. The top Russian diplomat said that such calls were due to provisions of the agreement going against the interests of some nations.
"We do not consider this to be a sufficient reason to talk about revising Dayton, which has been successfully ensuring peace, security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region as a whole for a quarter of a century," Lavrov said.
Russia, as one of the guarantors of the Dayton agreement, supports the observance of its principles and calls for all partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad to follow suit, Lavrov concluded.
The top Russian diplomat visits Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. Lavrov plans to discuss bilateral ties and the situation in the Balkan region during his working trip.
