Chollet Conveys Serious Warning from Washington to Dodik

Milorad Dodik (BETAPHOTO/HINA/FENA/Amer Kajmovic/MO)

U.S. secretary of state special aide Derek Chollet announced on Dec. 16 that he had conveyed a serious warning from Washington to Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency and leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats Milorad Dodik on Dec. 15.

"Today in a talk with Milorad Dodik I stressed that the ruling coalition in Republika Srpska's steps are unacceptable and undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutions. Corruption and anti-Daytonian actions will have consequences. Dialogue within Bosnia's institutions needs to be restored," Chollet tweeted.

Chollet earlier stated that the RS People's Assembly's decision to restore prerogatives on the state level to the level of the entity "pose a major step toward secession." "There will probably be a six-month-long waiting period before the assembly's decisions take effect, but a vote could start the clock ticking toward a possible return to conflict," he said.

Dodik's office released a statement saying that the Serb member of Bosnia's Presidency talked about the RS Assembly's conclusions on restoring prerogatives in the areas of defense, justice and indirect taxation to the entity with Chollet, saying that RS strongly endorses dialogue with everyone in Bosnia to overcome the crisis.