KALINIĆ: BiH FOREIGN POLICY - UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT BY BOSNIAN UNITARISTS

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 24 /SRNA/ – BiH's foreign policy has become a privatized affair and is often an unsuccessful attempt by Bosnian unitarists to present their view as the only truth about the country, former Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Dragan Kalinić told SRNA.

He noted that during the war, Haris Silajdžić was the "first violin" of BiH diplomacy and was entirely clear in pursuing an anti-Serb policy. "From Dayton until today, from Jadranko Prlić, through Sven Alkalaj, Zlatko Lagumdžija, Mladen Ivanić, Igor Crnadak, Bisera Turković and all the way to the notorious Elmedin Konaković, BiH foreign policy has been shaped more in the offices of international officials in Sarajevo, whom he described as paid agents of Western globalists, than as an authentic expression of the interests of the three constituent peoples and two entities," Kalinić said. He stressed that this applied particularly to Bosniak ministers who used every opportunity - through the formation of the diplomatic network and public appearances - to promote a pro-Bosnian, unitarist policy portraying Serbs as the principal source of the country's problems. "They relentlessly attacked and tried to discipline ambassadors nominated by Republika Srpska, but with little effect," Kalinić stated. He pointed out that the so-called monograph "BiH Diplomacy 1992–2022", which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers presents as an "institutional work," promotes what he described as a unitarist and falsely civic narrative. "What is BiH foreign policy at all if agreement on its essence cannot be reached within the only institution authorized to direct it - the Presidency of BiH?" Kalinić asked. According to him, it is nothing more than a privatized affair and, frequently, an unsuccessful attempt by Bosnian unitarists to present it as the sole truth about BiH. Kalinić said this was why the international activities of Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović in recent years represented, for their opponents, "squaring the circle" - an unsolvable problem. He reminded that soon after its establishment, Republika Srpska appointed Professor Aleksa Buha as its first foreign minister. "Until Dayton, during the difficult wartime period, Buha carried out that role with dedication and wisdom for Republika Srpska as a free and independent state," Kalinić said.