Russian Official’s Visit to BiH Targets the USA, Montenegro, and Macedonia

The speech by the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, which she delivered on Monday before the House of Peoples of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, turned into a political scandal with numerous negative reactions from BiH.

Matviyenko, who holds the position of Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Parliament, is the first prominent figure from the political life of Russia to visit BiH since 1999, when Boris Yeltsin attended the summit of the newly established Stability Pact in Sarajevo. However, her speech mainly served as yet another opportunity for a public confrontation with the USA and other Western countries, as well as NATO.

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Matviyenko openly stated from Sarajevo that the USA has a hostile attitude towards Russia, criticized Montenegro for joining NATO, and indirectly threatened Macedonia if it follows the same path.

She also called for the “reformation” of state judicial institutions in BiH and the preservation of “broad autonomy” of the entities, stating that Russia demands the immediate closure of the Office of the High Representative for BiH (OHR). These are all points that the authorities of the Republika Srpska repeatedly insist upon, where Matviyenko is traveling on Tuesday and where she is expected to meet with Milorad Dodik and deliver another speech, this time in the entity’s parliament.

Bosniak representative in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of BiH, Halid Genjac, dissatisfied with the speech of the Russian official, stood up in the middle of the session and left the hall.

He told local media that this was his personal reaction because Matviyenko abused the podium in the Parliament of BiH.

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“Matviyenko spoke about the foreign policy of the USA, which is completely inappropriate for this occasion, characterizing that policy in various, mostly inappropriate ways. She spoke about the violent entry of Montenegro into NATO, stating that allegedly more than 50 percent of the population of Montenegro is against it. What is particularly inappropriate and unacceptable is that she directly interfered in the internal affairs of BiH, speaking about the positions of the Constitutional Court and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH,” said Genjac.

He announced that now at least the Bosniaks in the House of Peoples will react through appropriate diplomatic channels, warnings, and statements.

“We will, with whatever means we have at our disposal, warn that this is unacceptable and qualify it appropriately,” said Genjac, who is also the Secretary-General of the ruling Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA).

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SDP BiH representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of BiH, Saša Magazinović, warned that this is a public confirmation of Russia’s efforts to influence the countries of the region, including BiH, and that this is being done in an “aggressive, rude, and offensive manner.”

“What happened today is a scandal. If Russia cared for and valued BiH at all, it would not be quarreling with the West over our backs,” said Magazinović.