The Serbian embassy in Sarajevo. Photo: Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Serbia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the expulsion of two of its diplomats from Bosnia and Herzegovina as “yet another unconstructive move” that serves neither good-neighbourly relations, regional stability, nor the easing of political tensions.
It said Bosnia’s Foreign Minister, Elmedin Konakovic, “continues to resort to escalation and uses extremely difficult and painful issues from our shared past as an instrument of day-to-day politics and an election campaign”, adding that “such issues require responsibility and serious dialogue, rather than political instrumentalisation and unilateral moves that further deepen divisions.”
The ministry said Serbia will “examine all legal and political aspects of the announced decisions, including the issue of jurisdiction and the procedures for adopting them,” as well as their consequences for diplomatic relations.
On Tuesday, Konakovic announced the expulsion of two members of the Serbian embassy in Sarajevo after Serbia hosted the funeral with military honours of the convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic in Belgrade.
Konakovic said Serbian military attache Milan Dulanovic and Danko Maksimovic, an adviser to Serbia’s BIA intelligence service, were personae non grata and had 48 hours to leave Bosnia.
Officials in Bosnia’s mainly Serb Republika Srpska entity, also condemned the move and challenged its legality.
Republika Srpska Justice Minister Goran Selak insisted such foreign policy decisions fall under the authority of Bosnia’s tripartite state presidency, while the Foreign Ministry merely carries out adopted policy – which he said Konakovic “would have to know” before making moves that are “unconstitutional and illegal.”
He said the expulsion order “can hardly even be called a decision,” since such a decision must have grounding in the constitution and law. “This looks more like a pre-election pamphlet than a serious act of an institution,” Selak said, referring to upcoming national elections next month.
Selak said Konakovic has the right to his opinions, “including personal antipathy toward Serbia”, but not to present them as the country’s position or speak for Republika Srpska, adding that “Serbia is Republika Srpska’s most important partner”.
The Serb member of Bosnia’s three-member state presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, said Konakovic “cannot determine what Bosnia and Herzegovina is, or dictate to Serbia”. She claimed one of the two embassy staff had already left Bosnia after his mandate expired.
Konakovic based the decision on a 2004 rulebook of the state presidency, Under it, only the presidency can expel heads of diplomatic missions but the foreign minister can expel other embassy staff for cases including interference in internal affairs, espionage, or insulting statements.
