Sarajevo: Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic announced Tuesday that two members of the Serbian Embassy's diplomatic staff in Sarajevo have been declared persona non grata while Sarajevo plans to withdraw support for a regional cooperation declaration.
According to Anadolu Agency, Konakovic stated at a news conference that Serbian Embassy military attache Milan Dulanovic and adviser to a representative of Serbia's Security Information Agency (BIA) Darko Maksimovic have been declared persona non grata. Konakovic demanded that these individuals leave Bosnia and Herzegovina within 48 hours, and their diplomatic identification cards would be revoked. He also advised members of the diplomatic corps in Bosnia and Herzegovina to terminate diplomatic communication with Dulanovic and Maksimovic.
Konakovic justified this decision by criticizing the response of Serbian officials to the burial of the late convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, which he described as crossing "all red lines." He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina would not allow the glorification of individuals convicted of genocide to be perceived merely as personal views.
The minister further announced Sarajevo's withdrawal of consent to a regional cooperation declaration set to be signed in Montenegro on October 1. Konakovic clarified that the country would refrain from signing any such documents until the situation in Serbia changes. He asserted that Bosnia and Herzegovina's objection lies not with the declaration itself but with Serbia's current actions.
Konakovic informed that Montenegro had been apprised of the decision and announced a review of the staffing structure within the Serbian Embassy in Sarajevo. This review includes assessing the number of diplomatic personnel necessary for operations. Additionally, changes to consular jurisdiction and a gradual reduction of employees at Bosnia and Herzegovina's Embassy in Belgrade are under consideration.
Konakovic remarked that no economic or social process is more significant than addressing Serbia's actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also called for the emergence of politicians ready for compromise, deeming the current situation reminiscent of the Serbia of the 1990s.
Ratko Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," was convicted by a UN tribunal of genocide and other grave crimes, including his involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. Mladic passed away on August 27 while serving a life sentence in The Hague.