Komšić: The borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina are not negotiable


Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Presidency member, Željko Komšić (Croat), stressed on Friday that the BiH borders cannot be questioned in any way, regardless of what is happening at the border between Albania and Kosovo.

His comments came as a reaction to the statement of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, who has said that “obviously the borders are on the table and now we have a situation that for some (Kosovo and Albania) is acceptable, and for the Republic of Srpska is not”. Her statement was referring to the abolition of the border between Albania and Kosovo,

Komsic added that “individuals in the executive power of Serbia” should not think that, by destabilizing BiH and by exporting their own problems, they would strengthen their position in the negotiations with Priština.

“Why do they think that politics from the 1990s will give a different result today? Why they, by such statements, are pushing their own country into unnecessary verbal conflicts with BiH? Instead of turning toward cooperation, Euro-Atlantic integration and regional stabilization, they are persistently trying to pull nebulous parallels between parts of BiH and Kosovo”, Komšić said.

He asked if Serbia PM Brnabić and Serbian Interior Minister Stefanović, who share similar viewpoints with Brnabic, are certain that, with these statements, they have a benefited Serbia, or they have damage Serbia and its overall regional relations?

“Sovereignty, integrity, and especially the borders of BiH are nonnegotiable and any parallels that question any state prerogative of BiH is at least indecent, not to use some other words. Every disgruntled individual from the ‘neighborhood’ must know that BiH is an unquestionable fact, and that they must understand and accept it as soon as is possible. It will be much smarter and more beneficial for their own country. Therefore, I urge Serbian officials to stop drawing these impossible parallels. Every next “what if”, and “how it cannot in the case of BiH” will not contribute to better relations between the two countries. We do not interfere in your relations with Kosovo and Albania, therefore, for future relations, we want to see that you stop playing with BiH”, Komšić emphasised.

Earlier on Friday, Brnabić told the media in Serbia that “Priština is endangering regional stability by introduction of taxes, creation of the Kosovo army, and declaring the elimination of the border with Albania, thus reversing the dialogue with Belgrade”.

/IBNA