SARAJEVO / Bosnia & Herzegovina :18 March 2025 – Bosnia & Herzegovina has warned President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić on his unacceptable and completely inappropriate interference in the internal and foreign affairs of the the independent, sovereign, indivisible and internationally recognized state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
” We in Bosnia and Herzegovina fully understand the citizens of the neighboring Republic of Serbia, and our message to the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, is also: You have no jurisdiction. It is time, finally, for the President of Serbia to remember these two words: no jurisdiction, Dr. Denis Bećirović, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina conveyed in an extraordinary press conference on 18 March 2025.
He made it clear on the President of Serbia, ” Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fully fledged member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and numerous other international organizations while also being a candidate country for full membership in the EU and NATO. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to interfere in the internal and foreign affairs of the internationally recognized state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
“Under international law, interference by one or more states in another state’s internal or foreign affairs is prohibited.”
Dr. Denis Bećirović drew attention to the following documents, which explicitly prohibit President Aleksandar Vučić from interfering in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The UN Charter (1945);
The Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty (1965);
The Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter (1970);
The Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (1975);
The Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention and Interference in the Internal
Affairs of States (1981);
The Republic of Serbia further committed itself to these principles by signing the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), whose Article 1 explicitly states: “The Parties shall conduct their relations in accordance with the principles set forth in the United Nations Charter, as well as the Helsinki Final Act and other documents of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In particular, the Parties shall fully respect the sovereign equality of one another, shall settle disputes by peaceful means, and shall refrain from any action, by threats or use of force or otherwise, against the territorial integrity or political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina or any other State.”
Therefore, Dr. Denis Bećirović said, not only does President Aleksandar Vučić lack the jurisdiction to interfere in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but international law also explicitly forbids him from doing so.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Republic of Serbia, are sovereign and legally equal states. The legal equality of states arises from their sovereignty and their status as subjects of international law. Sovereignty in international law is defined as the supreme authority of a state within its territory, excluding the authority of other states and not subject to any higher authority.
In the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Article 10 clearly states: “The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognize each other as sovereign independent States within their international borders.”
He said, President Aleksandar Vučić has no jurisdiction to modify or distort the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was signed by the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now legally succeeded by the Republic of Serbia), and the Republic of Croatia, and was witnessed by the signatures of the world’s major powers as guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Through Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the sides agreed that the High Representative is overseeing the implementation of this international agreement and that the signatory states shall fully cooperate with him. Article 5 of this Annex explicitly states that the High Representative is the final authority to interpret the Dayton Peace Agreement. Therefore, I emphasize that President Aleksandar Vučić has no jurisdiction to interpret the Dayton Peace Agreement or to oversee its implementation. That right, according to the Dayton Peace Agreement, rests with the High Representative.
The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as defined in Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, establishes that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has “(…) exclusive jurisdiction to decide any dispute that arises under this Constitution between the Entities or between Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Entity or Entities, or between institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (…). Decisions of the Constitutional Court shall be final and binding.” Thus, the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. That authority, as per the Dayton Peace Accords, belongs to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The preamble of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly states: “(…) Committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with international law (…)”. There is not a single provision in the Dayton Peace Agreement that allows for the destruction of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the contrary, the Constitution explicitly states that Bosnia and Herzegovina shall assume additional responsibilities “(…) necessary to preserve the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and international personality of Bosnia and Herzegovina (…)”. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to act as an advocate for destructive individuals in the BiH entity of RS who seek to dismantle Bosnia and Herzegovina and threaten peace and stability in the region.
In the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Article 1, Point 1, it is clearly stated that the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose official name is henceforth Bosnia and Herzegovina, continues “its legal existence under international law as a state, with its internal structure modified as provided herein and with its present internationally recognized borders.”
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It remains “a Member State of the United Nations and may as Bosnia and Herzegovina maintain or apply for membership in organizations within the United Nations system and other international organizations.”Therefore, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has no authority to interpret the continuity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as this is clearly defined by the Constitution of BiH.
According to Article 2, Point 2 of the Constitution of BiH, “The rights and freedoms set forth in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocols shall apply directly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”These shall have priority over all other law.” I emphasize that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has no jurisdiction to interpret human rights and fundamental freedoms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as this is precisely regulated by the Constitution of BiH.
According to Article 3, Point 2(a) of the Constitution of BiH, “The Entities shall have the right to establish special parallel relationships with neighboring states, consistent with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, must respect the sovereignty of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and cease the blatant misuse of parallel ties with the BiH entity RS.
The existence of independent judicial institutions, including the Court of BiH, the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH, is based on the Constitution of BiH and laws unanimously adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. This has been confirmed by the competent institutions that are authorized interpreters and guarantors of the Constitution of BiH. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, is not authorized to interpret or interfere in the work of the judiciary in other countries, and he is certainly not the interpreter and guarantor of the Constitution of BiH.
The independence of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina is guaranteed by both national and international law. It is the duty of all institutions, governmental and other, to respect the independence of the judiciary. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to challenge the decisions of independent judicial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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The first-instance ruling of the Court of BiH, as an independent judicial institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, against RS President Milorad Dodik has nothing to do with the entity of RS or the Serbian people, just as rulings against senior officials from the Bosniak and Croat communities have nothing to do with Bosniaks and Croats. Judicial decisions and verdicts of independent institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not subject to negotiation. Therefore, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić’s statement that “the verdict against Milorad Dodik is a verdict against the Serbian people as a whole” is unfounded and irresponsible. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction in evaluating the verdicts of independent judicial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The anti-Dayton and illegal activities of the BiH entity RS President Milorad Dodik and his organized group, which threaten the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, constitute a serious criminal offense. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to interpret the criminal law of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is particularly scandalous that he supports anti-Dayton activities aimed at dismantling the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, is the initiator and author of the so-called Declaration of the All-Serb Assembly, adopted in Belgrade on June 8, 2024, represents a hegemonistic legal and political act that directly threatens the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as several other states in the region.
This is an official state document adopted by the President of Serbia, the Government, and the Parliament of Serbia and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia. I remind you that the so-called All-Serb Assembly consists of elected Serb representatives from the legislative and executive bodies of Serbia, the BiH entity of RS, and Montenegro, members of the academies of science and arts, members of the Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and other “representatives of the Serbian people” invited by the organizers of the so-called All-Serb Assembly. Therefore, I underline that the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has no jurisdiction to establish such so-called All-Serb Assembly. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro each have their own state parliaments.
Dr. Denis Bećirović was confident in the press conference that the vast majority of Serbia’s citizens, like those in Bosnia and Herzegovina, desire peace, friendly neighborly relations, cooperation, and development.
Two independent and sovereign states – Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia – should build good and equal inter-state relations based on the principle of sovereign equality, as well as all the other principles upon which the United Nations are founded.
The Western Balkans region needs peace, stability, development, and cooperation among states. Calling for cooperation and maintaining peace should not be perceived as a weakness. It is a call to work in the interest of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
The key European states that laid the foundations of the EU decided to abandon expansionist projects and cooperate on the bases of mutual respect and recognition. This fundamental commitment has enabled peace and progress in Europe. It is time for everyone in the Western Balkans to learn this essential historical lesson.
Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina called upon President of Serbia , Let us build the standards and values of the EU, as we have chosen to be part of this European family. As states that respect and cooperate with each other, we have a great opportunity for economic and other progress. If we remain divided and in conflict, we are doomed to stagnation.
