Serb BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik has pointed out that Heiko Maas, as the minister of foreign affairs of such an important country as Germany, has not tried to establish the facts about the causes and nature of the political crisis in BiH, which he was obligated to do so, but has formed his views on the rumors, which makes his public appearances frivolous.
"Dear minister, by interpreting misinformation, you are inflicting injustice on Republika Srpska. You are inflicting injustice on your country too, which, like few others in the world, has ways and assets to learn about the facts in BiH and the current political crisis," Dodik cited in a letter addressed to Maas, adding that his appearances have recently prompted him to address him.
The Serb member of the BiH Presidency explained to Maas that the crisis in BiH was not caused, as he claims, by "policies pursued in Republika Srpska".
"The crisis is the result of the fact that the BiH Constitution has not been respected for 26 years, therefore such unconstitutional behavior has brought BiH to a standstill. Imagine that someone is trying to disrespect the Germany’s constitution for one day only!?" Dodik cited in the letter.
He emphasized that Republika Srpska had been advocating for peace in all previous years, because the 1990s war cost it that much that it could not afford new conflicts.
"Serbs, as a people from the two world wars in which we and you took the opposite sides, survived genocide and ethnic cleansing from which we have not recovered to this day. Therefore, esteemed minister, those who are mentioning and calling for conflicts – you should not look for in Republika Srpska," Dodik told the Germany’s minister.
The Serb Presidency member emphasizes that Republika Srpska is an integral part of BiH, which no one disputes, nor are there any public or secret plans for secession from BiH, as claimed by media outlets and political addresses of certain countries.
"We are fighting for the territorial integrity of BiH and its external sovereignty, as the BiH Constitution reads, i.e. Annex four of the Dayton Peace Agreement, doing absolutely nothing that is not prescribed by the highest legal act in BiH. When you say you will not sit idly by and follow, as you say, 'irresponsible policy in Republika Srpska', I must remind you that every time Germany did not sit idly by, Serbs lost a third of their population in this area,"said Dodik.
He therefore calls on Minister Maas to act and speak more carefully about Serbs and Republika Srpska, because the history of our relations, as well as the position he currently holds, obliges him to be more careful.
"As the minister of foreign affairs of Germany, I am calling on you to inform your Government about the events in BiH. If you do not do that, we will do everything to provide Chancellor Angela Merkel's office with all the necessary and accurate information," the Serb member of the BiH Presidency cited in the letter to Maas.
