"There will be no NATO membership without new agreement if the Serbs disapprove"

President of Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, Bakir Izetbegovic, says Bosnia-Herzegovina will not join NATO unless Serbs and Republika Srpska approve of it

Source: Tanjug
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mbangemann/Depositphotos/Ilustracija
mbangemann/Depositphotos/Ilustracija

"In this country, no one will ever impose anything on anyone. When it comes to Serbs and Republika Srpska, if they do not want to join NATO - they will not go to NATO", Izetbegovic said for RTRS political magazine "Pecat" last night.

However, he pointed out that the Annual National Program (ANP) for NATO must be sent to Brussels because it represents the implementation of previously adopted decisions.

"The laws and decisions adopted earlier must be respected, and I signed this with the HDZ leader Dragan Covic and the leader of Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) Milorad Dodik, on August 5. As far as we are concerned, this may be a minimal aspect, a reduced ANP in which the emphasis can be completely put on the civilian part, and we can coordinate the pace with Serbia and, after all, accept what is crucially important for the Serbs - that there is no NATO membership without new consensus and agreement, but the laws of this country must be respected", Izetbegovic emphasized.

The leader of Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) claims that the ANP is not a prerequisite for forming a Council of Ministers, because it represents, he said, the rule of law and respect for the constitutional and legal system in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Izetbegovic claims that the SNSD is blocking the formation of the government, because it does not accept something previously agreed and thus does not respect the strategic interest and constitutional and legal construct of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He states that the SDA insists on a compromise, which he said, is close to achieving.

"We have to accept the ANP, which means compliance with earlier laws, and the question is to what extent it will be reduced. Also, we have to accept that there is no NATO membership without a new agreement. That is quite enough to get out of this situation, so we will negotiate further. I don't know what will happen in 10 years", Izetbegovic pointed out.

He also said that the Council of Ministers would not be formed without election winners from Republika Srpska, and rejected the possibility of forming Bosnian government with opposition parties in the RS - Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Party of Democratic Progress (PDP).

"When they accept that this country has a constitution and a rule of law, we will form the government with the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), so we wait for them", he said.

With regard to the Resolution on Military Neutrality adopted by the Republika Srpska National Assembly, Izetbegovic believes that the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) has taken a decision on a matter that does not fall within its competence.

"The citizens of Republika Srpska have their representatives in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, under which competence it falls, because it is not the responsibility of the entities", Izetbegovic said. The SDA leader has explained why he does not call Republika Srpska by its full name but refers to it as "entity RS". "I do not like the part of Bosnia-Herzegovina to be named after one nation, even when my nation is concerned", Izetbegovic concluded.

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