EU on Serbia’s Taking Part in RS Day: Avoid Action That Negatively Affects Good Neighborly Relations

Serbia, EU flags (BETAPHOTO/European Council/FRANCOIS LENOIR)

The European Union urged Serbia on Jan. 9 to avoid action that negatively affects good neighborly relations and stated that it was expected to be equally committed to the European prospects of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a unified, united and sovereign country as other international partners are.

In comment of the participation of representatives of Serbia’s state institutions in the marking of the unconstitutional day of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entity of Republika Srpska (RS), the message from Brussels was that regional cooperation and good neighborly relations were the crucial part of progress on the path to European integration. “One should avoid action and statements that negatively affect good neighborly relations and contribute to political division,” the EU’s media service stated in a reply to Radio Free Europe.

The EU pointed out that the marking of that day was unconstitutional. “The EU emphasizes that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order, including the decisions of the Constitutional Court, and the international identity of Bosnia and Herzegovina have to be respected. The EU urges the political leaders of the entity of Republika Srpska to restrain from provocative rhetoric and action that causes division, including bringing into question the issue of sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country,” reads the response of the EU’s media service.

The EU appealed on all political actors in Bosnia to take decisive action to carry out the necessary reforms and advance on the EU path toward opening the EU accession negotiations. The EU reiterates its full commitment to Bosnia’s perspective of joining the Union as a unified, united and sovereign country.