SARAJEVO, March 1 (FENA) - Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović said in an interview with the Federal News Agency (FENA) that March 1 is one of the most significant dates in BiH's entire history, since on February 29 and March 1 almost two-thirds of BiH citizens chose the path of independence, international recognition and freedom of BiH, at the referendum.

Interview by: Hana Imamović

He stressed that the struggle for a complete and democratic BiH is in fact a fight for freedom of all who love and respect it, and in this context it should be constantly repeated that a large number of BiH citizens voted in favor of such a path for BiH.

After the referendum, Džaferović recalls, BiH's international recognition followed from all countries of the world, and BiH became a subject of international law, but that followed the aggression against BiH as well as the magnificent and honorable defense of BiH thanks to the Army of the Republic of BiH.

In times of aggression, BiH and its citizens were attacked by military means, but BiH has not given up nor it will ever, even though there are forces on the BiH political scene, which are trying to realize today what they failed to realize during the war.

“They failed when BiH was in much more difficult position, and they will not succeed today when BiH is stronger and in better position,” Džaferovic said clearly.

The latest example of such retrograde forces is the decision of political representatives from the Republika Srpska not to participate in the decision-making process at the BiH level after the BiH Constitutional Court declared part of the entity's Law on Agricultural Land unconstitutional.

However, Džaferović emphasizes that the only way out of this new blockade is to respect the Dayton Peace Agreement, which entails obligations, one of which is respect for BiH and its institutions and participation in the work of institutions, such as the obligation and respect for the entity structure of BiH.

Boycotting the work of BiH institutions is unconstitutional and anti-Dayton, thus committing many criminal acts.

“The international community and BiH law enforcement institutions and judicial institutions should make their moves now and help BiH to get out of this crisis,” Džaferović explains.

In response to the Constitutional Court's decision, a Bill on the Election of Judges of the Constitutional Court of BiH, which envisages the removal of foreign judges from the Constitutional Court of BiH, was submitted, but Džaferović reminds that foreign judges are part of the Dayton balance.

That mechanism allows BiH to function, Džaferović says, because excluding foreign judges from the BiH Constitutional Court, while keeping everything else the same, would disrupt the balance and prevent the state from functioning normally.

“If one wants foreign judges not to be part of the structure of the Constitutional Court of BiH then he/she must agree to a broader constitutional reform that will give the state mechanisms to protect and function normally which is only possible within the broader reform of the judicial system,” he explained, adding that a bill that is submitted to parliamentary procedure is absolutely unacceptable and will not be adopted in the BiH Parliament.

Asked if he believes that the fact that BiH does not have a consistent translation of the Dayton Peace Agreement allows its provisions to be interpreted differently, Džaferović said that problems in BiH may be partly caused by different interpretations of the agreement, but the current crisis is not a product of it.

The problem, he notes, is obstruction of the Dayton Peace Agreement and treating it as a "buffet" by taking what you want and rejecting what does not respond to you, which is the main reason for the behavior of politicians taking unconstitutional action in BiH.

Džaferović believes that everyone should insist on full implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, although there are several points within that document that are intentionally differently translated because the original text is in English, therefore Džaferović urges OHR to provide official translation of the text into official BiH languages.

A member of the Presidency also referred to the role of the Quint countries and the European Commission in BiH, acting jointly, saying that their role was constructive, as shown in the previous situation concerning NATO's path of BiH, since they played a significant role even then, and this issue was resolved through the adoption of the Reform Program, thus respecting the rule of law.

When it comes to Russia's role in BiH, Džaferović says that it does not correspond with what is the obligation of a country that witnessed the Dayton Peace Agreement, reminding that the Russian Federation, the European Union, the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are witnesses of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

“Russia has shown this from its behavior within the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). They regularly and very uncritically behave towards the situation in BiH, supporting, almost always, the party held by BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik, or officials from the Republika Srpska,” he explained.

Džaferović also confirmed for FENA that in his last interview with Russian Ambassador to BiH Petr Ivantsov he received information that the Russian Federation does not support the blockade of state institutions, although he, like Dodik, believes that foreign judges should leave the Constitutional Court, as well as the Office of the High Representative (OHR).

Speaking about possible sanctions that could come from the European Commission for politicians who obstruct the work of state institutions, Džaferović said that the big mistake of the international community was that it began to withdraw early and fade with its role in BiH processes.

When it comes to the relations with neighboring countries and their interference in BiH's internal affairs, Džaferović says that such behavior is in fact a remnant of big-state policies and of Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia.

“It is not to the same extent and there are important differences, but there are these kinds of influences that come from both of these countries. This is an attempt to realize in peace what, even during the war or aggression in BiH, failed to be realized,” Džaferović said.

He expressed his belief that these influences would weaken and fade in the future, but also that they would be in a position to establish bilateral or regional relations based on the principle of mutual respect.

Neighboring countries, Džaferović says, are required no less than to respect BiH as much as BiH respects them, and Serbia and Croatia have special obligations to BiH because they are signatories to the Dayton Peace Agreement because they participated in the aggression against BiH.

Speaking about BiH's relations with Montenegro, he reiterated that BiH has never, nor will, interfere with the internal affairs of neighboring countries, which is the case with the current situation in Montenegro because the institutions of that country are doing their job, and BiH respects what the Montenegrin institutions are doing within their sovereignty.

However, Dodik has already raised the issue of the entity interest because of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanović's visit to BiH, and Džaferović thinks it would be better for BiH to have a unified view as it will have a bad impact on relations between countries and it is not so easy to get beyond it, but he expressed hope that the consequences would be less as this has been an unreasonable attitude by Dodik.

“We, Dodik and those he represents need good cooperation with Montenegro,” Džaferović said clearly.

Due to the current situation in BiH, leaders of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) and Democratic Front (DF) Bakir Izetbegović, Fahrudin Radončić and Željko Komšić have jointly announced that they will continue the fight for BiH, and Džaferović also believes that this unique answer is necessary.

BiH Presidency member Šefik Džaferović will soon take over the duty of the Chairman of the BiH Presidency, announcing that he will continue to fight for BiH's foreign policy position, its European and NATO path, and will work to build good relations with other countries that have good intentions towards BiH.

When it comes to defense, he says, he will strive to implement the Reform Program, Defense Review as well as modernize the Armed Forces and improve their material and technical status.

He will work on coordination between the various levels of government in BiH, which are obligations of the BiH Presidency, and will endeavor to hold regular sessions of the BiH Presidency every 15 days.

As BiH Presidency member Šefik Džaferović concluded in an interview with FENA, he is planning a visit to Brussels at the beginning of his eight-month presidency, and will request a visit to Washington, and will fight for BiH's interests.

(FENA) A. B.