KOŠARAC REJECTS INVITATION TO ATTEND A MEETING IN LONDON DUE TO BRITAIN'S HOSTILE STANCE TOWARD SRPSKA

SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 8 /SRNA/ - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Staša Košarac has rejected the invitation to participate in the Berlin Process Economic Ministers' meeting, which will be held on October 16 in London.

"The main reason for my decision not to attend the meeting in London is the extremely hostile stance of Great Britain toward Republika Srpska, as one of the two equal entities in BiH, and toward the Serb people, as one of the three constituent peoples of BiH," Košarac stated in a letter sent to the meeting organizer, the British Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Chairman of the Trade Committee, MP Jonathan Reynolds. Košarac emphasized that he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers on behalf of Republika Srpska and the Serb people in BiH, whose interests and positions he primarily represents. In this regard, he added that his approach to the Berlin Process, as in the past, will be based solely on the positions of the institutions of Republika Srpska. "The Serb people and Republika Srpska have for decades witnessed that the British government not only lacks friendly and good intentions toward them, but also undertakes concrete actions that conflict with international law, all aimed at destroying Republika Srpska and demonizing the Serb people," Košarac emphasized. Among the many examples of such a negative stance, he singled out a few, beginning with the unlawful conclusions of the London Conference and the formation of the Peace Implementation Council, a body whose establishment is not prescribed by the Dayton Peace Agreement or any other source of international law. "I must also mention British support for international interventionism in BiH, unconstitutional institutions, and the anti-Dayton actions of former high representatives in BiH, primarily referring to Paddy Ashdown, a classic Muslim lobbyist and advocate for creating an Islamic BiH in which there is no place for the Serb and Croat peoples," Košarac stated. He also recalled that in 2015, the United Kingdom proposed to the UN Security Council a shameful resolution on Srebrenica, intended to demonize the Serb people and attribute to them labels that do not apply. "British support for the resolution on Srebrenica, which was forcibly placed on the UN General Assembly agenda last year in violation of the UN Charter, also testifies to their hostile stance toward the Serb people. By voting for this outrageous resolution, the United Kingdom accepted historical revisionism, the demonization of the Serb people, and falsified and misleading narratives about the war events in BiH," Košarac emphasized. He pointed out that Great Britain has still not abandoned its intent to harm Republika Srpska and the Serb people in BiH, which, Košarac added, is primarily reflected in British support for German national Christian Schmidt, who falsely presents himself as the High Representative in BiH, since he was not appointed by the UN Security Council but by a non-Dayton body, the so-called Peace Implementation Council. "Your country has never opposed the violent actions and repression of the occupier Schmidt, who, contrary to the Dayton Agreement, imposes laws, suspends the BiH Constitution, nullifies the democratic will of the Serb people, and prosecutes legitimately elected representatives and political parties. The joint endeavor of the illegitimate Schmidt, Muslim politicians, and unconstitutional BiH institutions has resulted in political proceedings against the legitimately elected President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik," Košarac emphasized in his response to MP Reynolds. He said that Great Britain did not oppose the political prosecution of the democratically elected president; on the contrary, it once again supported the undermining of the Dayton Agreement, democratic institutions, and the will of the Serb people. "Foreigner Schmidt seeks to establish a neo-colonial system in BiH, in which he would rule by decree. Great Britain supports such actions while simultaneously hypocritically speaking about the need to respect the Dayton Agreement, democracy, and the rule of law in BiH," Košarac stated. He also referred to what he described as politically motivated and undemocratic sanctions imposed by Great Britain on the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović and other officials of Republika Srpska. "British sanctions are a classic example of a desperate attempt to cause harm and destabilize Republika Srpska, to discipline its officials, and to impose a unitary concept of BiH that is contrary to the will of the Serb people," Košarac emphasized. Instead of a conclusion, Košarac reminded that the United Kingdom, as a UN member, has a legal obligation in all its relations with BiH to respect its sovereignty, internal relations, and competencies prescribed by the BiH Constitution. "As long as your country violates international law, I cannot, on principle, accept participating in any event on its territory," Košarac emphasized in his response to the invitation to the upcoming meeting in London.