Meeting today the Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) strongly condemned RS Prime Minister Dodik’s move to present a criminal report against Principal Deputy High Representative Raffi Gregorian and understand this as an attempt to prevent the OHR from fulfilling its mandate.
Under Annex X of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), all authorities in BiH are obliged to fully cooperate with the High Representative and his staff. Challenging the authority of the High Representative, his staff and the Peace Implementation Council will not be tolerated.
The Ambassadors also recall the UN Security Council resolution 1845 adopted on 20 November, which: “Reaffirms once again its support for the Peace Agreement… …and calls upon the parties to comply strictly with their obligations under those Agreements.”
The Ambassadors restated that in line with the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board Declaration of 20 November 2008 and UNSC Resolution 1845 the High Representative will continue to ensure full respect for the GFAP and to monitor progress in respect of the objectives and conditions, and the PIC Steering Board will keep the situation under constant review.
Milorad Dodik is clearly making use of Republika Srpska institutions and personnel to try to intimidate the international community.
Furthermore the Ambassadors express serious concerns about this move as an attack on the BiH State institutions and law enforcement agencies.
The Ambassadors remind Prime Minister Dodik of the Declaration by the PIC Steering Board of 20 November 2008 that: “The jurisdiction of the State Level law enforcement and judicial authorities to operate fully in the RS must not be challenged and should be fully and unconditionally respected.”
The officials and the others named in this criminal report will continue to have full support of the International Community as they carry out their important work in support of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s aspirations to become fully integrated into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
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