Serbia sends protest note to Bosnia and Herzegovina for preventing deputy premier from visiting country

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Serbia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry sent a note of protest Monday to Bosnia and Herzegovina for preventing Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin from visiting the country.

Vulin was scheduled to attend the opening of an exhibition in the village of Prebilovci dedicated to the suffering of the Serbian people in the Second World War.

The note said the decision of the Bosnian authorities "undoubtedly represents a violation of good neighborly diplomatic practices."

Vulin was supposed to attend the exhibition "Prebilovci 1941" at the invitation of the organizers. But authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina did not issue the necessary permission for the landing of the aircraft with the delegation of the Republic of Serbia in Mostar, even though they were informed in time about its arrival.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia is disappointed by the decision of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina not to allow the participation of our delegation in a commemorative gathering, because such a decision is not in the spirit of good neighborly relations and civilizational achievements," the ministry said in the note.

"Today's decision of the Bosnian authorities undoubtedly represents a violation of good-neighborly diplomatic practice and contributes to the creation of an atmosphere of intolerance towards the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian people as a whole. We call on the authorities in Sarajevo to stop using the relations in the region and the inter-ethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina itself as a platform for harmful daily political activities, thereby moving their own country away from the course of progress and European integration," said the ministry.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic said the request arrived Friday after working hours.

"On Friday late afternoon after working hours, a request arrived for the arrival of that civilian aircraft in which Aleksandar Vulin would come to Bosnia and Herzegovina for some celebration. It is against our procedures. It should arrive 48 hours before, not including weekends.

“However, if it were a benevolent person, we would once again show hospitality. Since it is about Vulin, I did not want to put a signature on his arrival, nor to violate the procedures that are very clear in our country,” Konakovic told local broadcaster N1.

He said that Vulin is not welcome in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

''Vulin is not welcome in Bosnia until he changes his views…For people like Vulin, we will never do some things,'' Konakovic added.