SARAJEVO – Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković announced yesterday that he is recalling all embassy personnel from Belgrade whose withdrawal does not require presidential approval. The decision is a direct response to the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, alongside recent provocative messaging during sports events in Belgrade, including “Direction Potočari”.
Konakovic said that only the ambassador and consul can remain in Belgrade, as their appointment and eventual recall are decided by the BiH Presidency, while the rest of the staff will be withdrawn, Radio Free Europe reported. According to him, consular affairs should be transferred to BiH embassies in Zagreb and Podgorica, as well as to the Consulate General in Novi Pazar.
“If I could, I would break off diplomatic relations with Serbia right now. But, what I can do is to reduce the relations to the lowest possible level”, Konaković stated.
He added that he was not surprised by the presence of Republika Srpska officials at Ratko Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade, announcing that he would seek sanctions “at all addresses” for individuals who attended the event, including BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović.
In his reaction to Konaković’s announcement, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić accused BiH Foreign Minister of “hypocrisy” and said that he should “first state the names of Serb victims, condemn crimes against them and explain why convicted military commanders are still celebrated in Sarajevo”.
Đurić claimed that Konaković grew up politically in a milieu that celebrated figures like Rasim Delić, convicted for wartime crimes.
