The member of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, said today in Zagreb that the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik is a “security threat”, while the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, said that he is not “because he has no money and weapons”.
“We discussed the security situation in BiH and the region. I do not hide the fact that we in BiH, unfortunately, have a politician who has transformed from a political to a security threat. It is the president of the entity, Milorad Dodik,” Bećirović told reporters after meeting with the president. of Croatia.
He emphasized that Dodik “must be stopped in his anti-Dayton, anti-constitutional policy”, assessing that it is time for everyone in BiH and outside to understand this.
“It is better to prevent it, than to have bigger problems,” Bećirović added, pointing out that BiH’s strategic interests are full membership in the EU and NATO, good regional cooperation.
When asked by a journalist about Bećirović’s statement about Dodik, Milanović replied that “Dodik is the interlocutor”, because he is the legitimate representative of the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Who should be the interlocutor, if not someone who is a legitimate representative of that nation, one of the three constituent nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina?”, answered the Croatian president, his press service reported in a statement.
He assessed that there is “no money, weapons and people ready for war” in BiH, but that, if there is, “he will be confused just like Bećirović”.
“If there are none, or there are none to a significant extent, then I will consider it his (Dodik’s) irresponsible outbursts,” said the Croatian president about Dodik’s statements.
Asked if it was more appropriate that all three members of the BiH Presidency came to visit, Milanović repeated the position of official Zagreb that Željko Komšić is not the legitimate representative of Croats in BiH.
“The problem is Mr. Komšić and the way he was elected. It is a perversion and travesty of the will of the electorate,” Milanović assessed.
Speaking about his first visit to Zagreb, member of the BiH Presidency and the Social Democratic Party of BiH Denis Bećirović said that he came to Croatia primarily to send a message that it is time for the relations between the two countries to “relax and improve”.
“I think it’s time to build bridges of friendship because the citizens of Croatia and BiH cooperate well, and I think that political representatives should also emulate the citizens,” said Bećirović.
He added that he wants to intensify the dialogue on open issues.
Milanović expressed his satisfaction that talks are being held again at the highest level, stressing that it is in Croatia’s interest that Bosnia and Herzegovina is “an area of stability and a member of the EU within a reasonable period of time”.
Bećirović also met Prime Minister Andrej Plenković during his working visit to Croatia.
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