BiH Presidency Member Denis Bećirović held a meeting with the Permanent Representative of Great Britain to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward, as part of a working visit to the UN.
Bećirović expressed his gratitude to Great Britain for its strong and principled support during the process of adopting the Resolution on the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide in 1995.
He emphasized that this country has once again demonstrated its deep commitment to truth, justice and the fight against genocide denial. It was particularly emphasized that Britain has been implementing one of the most developed and comprehensive programs to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide for years, which includes numerous activities throughout the country.
During the conversation, Bećirović informed the Ambassador about the continuous and dangerous attacks on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the leadership of the BiH entity RS. Such attacks pose a serious challenge to the preservation of peace, stability and the rule of law, not only within Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the broader regional context.
Bećirović stressed that such policies of undermining state institutions and negating international agreements directly threaten the fundamental principles on which the Dayton Peace Agreement is based. He stressed the importance of Britain’s proactive role, both through the UN Security Council and other UN mechanisms, in order to preserve peace, security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this context, he particularly warned about the latest decision by the RS entity authorities to form a reserve police force, which can be considered an additional attempt to destabilize and militarize police structures in the RS entity. Such unilateral and unconstitutional moves represent a worrying escalation of illegal actions, which require the attention and decisive response of the international community.
The interlocutors agreed, among other things, that Britain’s commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity and the rule of law is of utmost importance, as well as support for strengthening the efficiency of state institutions and joint action to remove obstacles to accelerating progress and the country’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic associations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Kingdom remain close partners, firmly connected by shared values, commitment to international law and preserving stability in the region and beyond, the Office of BiH Presidency Member Denis Bećirović announced.