Bosnian Serb leader: No NATO membership without Serb approval

RTRS

Thanking members of the 'Bosniak political elite' for agreeing on the final document that will be sent to NATO to continue Bosnia's cooperation with the Alliance, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency, Milorad Dodik, said Sunday that the document does not mean the activation of the Membership Action Plan.

“We need to prepare complete and comprehensive information with our coalition partners regarding the defence system and to inform the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly of this. The document is not active, it will be activated from the moment the Council of Ministers (Bosnian government) is elected. Only then can we talk about the document,” Dodik said.“I am also grateful to the partners from the Bosniak political elite, who even before this document indicated that there would be no (NATO) membership without the will of the Serbs. It would require a new decision.”

He noted that only after the document is made public, then they should provide a comprehensive insight into everything, as proof of the fact that the Reform Plan is not contrary to the RS entity's policy of military neutrality.

Bosnia's tripartite Presidency expressed its support for Zoran Tegeltija to serve as Bosnia's prime minister during last week's special session.

The Bosniak and Croat Presidency members finally expressed support for Tegeltija, a member of the strongest Bosnian Serb party – the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) – following a joint meeting with ambassadors of the United States, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia.

In return, the Serb Presidency member supported a document outlining the program of reforms in the field of defence and security, which was sent to NATO, instead of the ANP. This new document is said to be acceptable to NATO as if it was the original ANP.