Germany urges Bosnia’s Republika Srpska to respect country’s sovereignty and territorial Integrity

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) — Germany on Friday urged Bosnia's Serb entity to respect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as concerns mount over recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer criticized Republika Srpska (RS) for passing controversial legislation this week, calling it a “massive attack” on the country's constitutional order. The laws have barred the country's central police and judiciary from operating in the Serb-controlled part of the country.

“We appeal to all internal and external political actors to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the state of Bosnia-Herzegovina,” Fischer said, and warned that abolition of the authority of the national police and judicial authorities could endanger the security of local populations.

The ministry spokesperson assured that Bosnia and Herzegovina can rely on its international partners, noting that the UN Security Council reaffirmed the Dayton Peace Agreement during its meeting on Thursday. Fischer added that Germany reserves the right to impose personal and specific sanctions in response to the changing security situation in Republika Srpska.

Since the end of the 1990s war and the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina has operated under what is widely considered the world's most complex political system. It comprises two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. The two entities enjoy broad autonomy, with all major decisions requiring consensus among the country's three main ethnic groups—Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats.