VRANJEŠ: BY HIS SCANDALOUS VISIT TO SCHMIDT, LAGUMDŽIJA SHOWED WHO HE SERVES

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 13 /SRNA/ – BiH Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Vranješ said that BiH Ambassador to the UN Zlatko Lagumdžija caused a new scandal this morning by visiting Christian Schmidt at the OHR, ahead of the upcoming UN Security Council session on BiH, and showed that he serves Bosniak political interests expressed through the international protectorate.

Vranješ said that by doing so, Lagumdžija demonstrated that he does not respect the BiH Presidency, which is constitutionally responsible for conducting foreign policy, but instead grants that authority to an illegal protector. He pointed out that, as far as he knows, no report by the so-called high representative on BiH is expected to be presented at the UN Security Council session on October 31, since that day marks the end of Russia’s presidency of the Council. "At that session, the report of the so-called high representative will not be presented; it will be postponed until the following day, so it should be expected in the first days of November," Vranješ told SRNA. He added that, regardless of that, Lagumdžija apparently went to consult with Schmidt to determine what positions to take, and perhaps even to share information about how his report will be heard before the UN Security Council. "That is our assumption. We don't know the content of that conversation, but it certainly represents a scandal, because it shows that he does not recognize the BiH Presidency as the institution responsible for foreign policy, instead assigning that role to the illegal high representative, Schmidt," Vranješ assessed. He emphasized that Lagumdžija's actions clearly show whose interests he serves. "Lagumdžija does not serve BiH; he serves Bosniak political interests, which are manifested through the international protectorate in BiH," said Vranješ. By doing so, Vranješ continued, Lagumdžija has empirically demonstrated how they perceive BiH and how they operate within such a framework, not based on the consensus of the three constituent peoples nor on the Dayton institutions of BiH, but rather under a foreign protector-occupier who effectively rules the country. "True to his past political conduct and behavior, Lagumdžija once again proved his loyalty in line with what Elmedin Konaković once said: `Tie your horse where your master tells you.` It is now clear who the horse is, and who the master," Vranješ concluded. BiH Ambassador to the UN Zlatko Lagumdžija entered the OHR building in Sarajevo early this morning.