The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a letter today to the Israeli ambassador, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the way the visit of Milorad Dodik and the acting President of Republika Srpska, Ana Trišić-Babić, to Israel was organized.
In the letter, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, the Ministry first pointed out the absence of the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the use of symbols that do not represent the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This was described as an act contrary to established diplomatic practice, protocol and the principles of sovereign equality of states, as defined by the United Nations Charter and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Telegraph reports.
The letter further expresses deep disappointment and serious concern about meetings between Israeli officials and individuals who identify as Chetniks - a paramilitary movement that, during World War II, aligned itself with the perpetrators of the Holocaust and continues to promote the same ideology today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina stressed that these events occurred as the international community was marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, noting that Milorad Dodik is widely known as a genocide denier who has personally used media platforms to relativize the genocide committed in Srebrenica in 1995.
Special attention in the letter is paid to Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial center dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust.
"As the Chetniks intensified their collaboration with the Germans, their attitude towards Jews in the areas under their control deteriorated and Jews became associated with the despised ideology of communism. There were numerous cases in which the Chetniks killed Jews or handed them over to the Germans," it said, among other things.
Minister Konaković also recalled the fact that a Jew in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot run for a seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that constitutional amendments to change this were supported by all Bosniak political representatives, while Milorad Dodik and his political allies voted against them.
The letter further emphasizes that Milorad Dodik and Ana Trišić-Babić promote historical revisionism and Chetnik ideology, which is described as incompatible with international law, justice, and the universal commitment to memory and accountability.
Giving visibility and legitimacy to such individuals at a time when the Holocaust and genocide are commemorated is considered deeply disturbing and contrary to the principles of "Never Again".
In conclusion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina underlined the importance of conducting all future bilateral communications strictly on the basis of the constitutional order, sovereignty and international legal status of Bosnia and Herzegovina. /Telegrafi/
