KK Igokea

Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, has said he will continue to do everything possible to prevent the country from joining NATO.

"While I am there [the presidency], I will try to take apart everything that has been achieved so far in the field of [NATO] integration," Dodik said on February 7.

Bosniak leaders on Wednesday accused Bosnian Serb officials - who have stopped work on deciding any state-level matters, pending adoption of a new law on the Constitutional Court - of breaking the law.

Bosnian Serbs on Jan. 9 held celebrations to mark the anniversary of the founding of the small entity -- Republika Srpska -- in defiance of Bosnia's top court ruling.

A parade in northern Banja Luka city -- de facto capital of the entity -- started the celebrations, which was supported by the senior members of the Republika Srpska government.

The Prosecution office in Bosnia and Herzegovina has charged former Security Minister Dragan Mektic, Igor Golijanin, Samir Agic and Edin Garaplija with abuse of position over the implementation of an interstate project on cross-border cooperation in fire fighting, which the European Union's Delegation to Bosnia had financed.

"Main condition for fulfilling this is to preserve peace and stability in the region," President Vucic said.
"A few days ago, we were attacked by some politicians from Bosnia-Herzegovina for the National Defense Strategy. Yesterday, Dodik attacked us and said, 'Why are you mentioning Bosnia and Herzegovina?' We just respect the Dayton Agreement", President explained.

Several thousand people gathered in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, RS, on Thursday night for two rival rallies, one a protest against the RS authorities and the other a counter-protest in support of RS institutions.

The Assembly of Republika Srpska had endorsed Dodik's interpretation that a document called the "Reform Program" adopted by the BiH Presidency on November 19th does not mean consent to continue BiH's accession to NATO, but merely a plan of measures to be implemented in terms of establishing co-operation with this military alliance.

Opposition lawmakers in Bosnia's Republika Srpska called for the resignation of the entity's interior minister after he slapped an opposition MP on Monday during a debate on Bosnia's future relationship with NATO.

"He deserved nothing less than life imprisonment," said Nura Alispahic from Srebrenica, whose two sons were killed.

The verdict was also welcomed by Bosniak politicians - but political leaders in the country's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity said it proved that the UN court was anti-Serb.

Even by these standards, though, political developments over the last month have been startling. To begin with, while we do not know the exact contours of the deal that finally allowed Tegeltija to assume his post, it is clear that a breakthrough was made about Bosnia's Atlantic accession prospects.