Russia and China reward Dodik’s loyalty, try to challenge BiH institutions through the Security Council

Russia and China reward Dodik’s loyalty, try to challenge BiH institutions through the Security Council

China and Russia are making ongoing efforts to challenge the decisions of Bosnia’s internal institutions, using the Security Council as an international platform to exert political pressure.

This is after these two countries have once again confirmed their support for the leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, requesting an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council. The session will be held tonight at 21:00, Bosnia and Herzegovina time, and will be closed to the public and media.

According to sources from the Klix.ba portal, the request to hold this session was submitted last night, local time in Bosnia, by Russia, while China has expressed clear support for this initiative.

Immediately after receiving information about the Russian request, the permanent delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN contacted representatives of the current member states of the Security Council to inform them about the issue that prompted this harsh diplomatic reaction.

Sources close to the Bosnian mission to the UN say that, although no official decisions or conclusions are expected after this closed session, Bosnian diplomacy will continue its efforts throughout the day to clarify all the circumstances related to this case.

It remains unclear whether Bosnian representatives will be present at this meeting or whether they will be allowed to speak. According to the rules of a closed session of the Security Council, the discussion is most likely to take place without the participation of Bosnian representatives.

The reason for this move is the decision of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to remove Milorad Dodik’s mandate, following a court ruling against him – which has caused strong reactions from Russia.

A statement from the Russian embassy in Sarajevo said that “this is the moment of truth” for Bosnia and that the country is heading towards a “point of no return,” hinting at serious political consequences. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Bosnia has not yet commented, although Beijing has expressed support for the session called in New York.