Hungary opposes sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Dodik, PM Orban says
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday his government opposed placing sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, as proposed by Germany, as such a move would further undermine the stability of the West Balkans.
Bosnia is experiencing its gravest political crisis since the end of the war in the 1990s, reviving fears of a break-up after Bosnian Serbs blocked the work of the central government and Serb lawmakers voted to start pulling the autonomous Serb Republic out of state institutions.
Germany's new government on Dec. 13 called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Dodik, who aims to take the Serb Republic out of Bosnia's armed forces, judiciary and tax system. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said "efforts to break away are unacceptable". nL8N2SY4RY
"We definitely need to prevent these (sanctions)," Orban told a news conference in response to a question. "Bad posture, bad tone used and the horizon is bad."
"The West Balkans must be integrated and must be helped."
Nationalist Orban said Hungary's southern border was close to the Bosnian border and a conflict there would impact Hungary.
"The Balkans need to be stabilised, and this is not possible without the Serbs. The Balkans cannot be stabilised without Bosnia-Herzegovina. And Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot be stabilised without restoring the rights that the Serbs are entitled to. This is our logic."
Dodik, who currently serves as the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite inter-ethnic presidency, wants to roll back all reforms made after the war and return to the 1995 constitution, under which the state was represented by basic institutions only, while all powers belonged to the regions.
Germany's new government on Dec. 13 called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Dodik, who aims to take the Serb Republic out of Bosnia's armed forces, judiciary and tax system. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said "efforts to break away are unacceptable". nL8N2SY4RY
"We definitely need to prevent these (sanctions)," Orban told a news conference in response to a question. "Bad posture, bad tone used and the horizon is bad."
"The West Balkans must be integrated and must be helped."
Nationalist Orban said Hungary's southern border was close to the Bosnian border and a conflict there would impact Hungary.
"The Balkans need to be stabilised, and this is not possible without the Serbs. The Balkans cannot be stabilised without Bosnia-Herzegovina. And Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot be stabilised without restoring the rights that the Serbs are entitled to. This is our logic."
Dodik, who currently serves as the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite inter-ethnic presidency, wants to roll back all reforms made after the war and return to the 1995 constitution, under which the state was represented by basic institutions only, while all powers belonged to the regions.
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