Vucic: The Bosniak leadership is undermining the Dayton Agreement, I expect the USA to react

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that the words of the Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, calling the Dayton Agreement a "mistake," show that it is not the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina who are undermining this document, but rather the Bosniak leadership. He added that he expects a reaction from the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, as well as other American officials, who, he noted, have not yet commented on the matter.

Vucic, in an interview with TV Pink, also pointed out that the news about the Bosnian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konakovic, acknowledging that there was nothing controversial about the presence of Serbian Army cadets at the commemoration of the anniversary of the suffering of Serbs in Kozara, went almost unnoticed.

Responding to the calls from Sarajevo to dismantle the Dayton Agreement, in light of Helez's statement, Vucic said that the minister's statement is very serious as it shows that it is the Bosniaks who are undermining the Dayton Agreement.

"This is an honest statement, and that is why I am asking Jim O'Brien and everyone in the U.S. dealing with the Balkans – why haven't you reacted? Why are you silent on statements that the Dayton Agreement is a mistake?" Vucic asked while appearing on TV Pink.

He emphasized that this statement confirms that it is the Bosniaks who are undermining the Dayton Agreement, while all along, the Serbs have been accused of having that goal.

"They say it's bad and that it needs to be dismantled. And who then is undermining peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Who wants something other than peace and coexistence?" the President of Serbia asked.

He added that he does not believe the citizens want the dismantling of Dayton, but rather the Bosniak leadership, as well as "some people from the West who think they are very smart and are playing with fire, accusing others of playing with fire."

"Such a statement is very dangerous, and I just want to see if the American ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who writes 500 treatises on Milorad Dodik daily, will react," Vucic added.

As for the allegations of his alleged presence in Sarajevo during the war with a sniper, he called on Helez to provide evidence of this, and if so, he would resign immediately.

"Zukan Helez, if I used a sniper and shot, just show one small piece of evidence, I will no longer be the President of the Republic of Serbia the same day. And you, liar, with all the Chinese drones, I invite you to resign from your much lower position if you are lying," the President of Serbia added.

He noted that the Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljko Komsic, and the Bosniak member Denis Becirovic, along with some media, claim that Serbia started aggression after the All-Serb Assembly, using the participation of Military Academy cadets in the commemoration of the suffering of the Serbian people in Kozara as proof.

In this context, he pointed out that the statement of the Bosnian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denis Konakovic, that Serbia, regarding the cadets, did everything according to procedures and laws, went almost unnoticed.

"But you didn't see that news because they lied and ran a campaign for two days… So, how can they now say they are the biggest liars…" Vucic noted and added that cadets were present at the same events in 2017 and that it is common practice for them to participate in such commemorations in the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Greece, North Macedonia...

On Gervalla's call to overthrow him: Recognize Kosovo, I won't participate in that

Vucic also commented on the statement of the Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla, in an interview with the Croatian Vecernji List, where she called on everyone to help democratic forces in Serbia to overthrow Vucic:

"Well, I also call on them… So, recognize independent Kosovo, admit that Serbs are the worst criminals, that they committed the worst genocides, real or not… I will not participate in that."

Regarding the elections in France, Vucic said it was not a debacle for the right, neither for Marine Le Pen nor for Emmanuel Macron in the second round.

He also mentioned that he expects a visit from the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during the summer, which he said would be very important.

He added that the British will also be much more present in the Balkans in the future and that it remains to be seen whether this will be good for Serbia.

"It's like with Kaja Kallas, and it's not just about Kallas, because the entire apparatus in the EU External Service will be replaced… Instead of Angelina Eichhorst, with whom we could talk, there will be an Estonian… Will we be able to talk with him, we'll see. There are many challenges ahead of us, we'll see how it will look," Vucic said.