Bosnia’s Serb Presidency member and Chairman Milorad Dodik said on Monday he would abide by the Republika Srpska (RS) entity resolution on military neutrality of this entity when talking about announcements that NATO’s Annual National Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina could be approved this Wednesday.

“I will abide by the RS parliament’s resolution on military neutrality. I will not support anything outside that resolution,” said Chairman of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency, Milorad Dodik, who is also the leader of the strongest party in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, the nationalist Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).

The Serb-dominated RS passed a decision in 2017 to proclaim military neutrality, hampering Sarajevo’s ambitions to join the Alliance.

On Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects NATO ministers to accept the first annual national programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting on Wednesday when they will discuss a series of issues including the Western Balkans.

Dodik added that 10 years ago, the RS had discussed joining the Alliance but that the situation has changed since then.

“NATO is a serious organisation … and the RS had discussed the NATO accession then because we thought we should talk with the Alliance. Even Russia talked with them at that time. Today, the geopolitical situation has changed,” Dodik noted. “Our position on NATO is clear, and we have a consensus of all parties from the RS. I will not have any other policy than that of the RS National Assembly (NSRS).”

He added he did not know what the point of the new initiative was, and whether it was to “speed things up or show the absurdity of the situation in Bosnia.”

“As Presidency member, I’m only obliged by the NSRS resolution,” Dodik concluded.

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