Palmer: Russia is blocking the Western Balkans, wanting to see it divided

US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Matthew Palmer has declared that the US engages in a very close partnership report between NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While in Sarajevo, he said the US supports B-H on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration.

The annual national programme (which B-H) would enable strengthening B-H reports with NATO. But this job must be done by B-H authorities rather than the US“, Palmer said, adding that his country supports the deployment of closer possible reports between NATO and B-H“.

Palmer said that this is a technical issue, not the decision to NATO membership. This enables NATO and B-H co-operation to strengthen defence and security mechanisms. I hope Bosnian leaders will be able to reach agreement and draft their first annual national programme“, the US diplomat said. Bosnian leaders must also reach agreement on the establishment and strengthening of federal authorities. „In all these US processes will be partner and friend to the peoples of B-H”, Palmer said.

Moscow, Washington's Various Goals in the Balkans

The American diplomat said the US and Russia have different goals in the Western Balkans and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The American policy core in the Western Balkans is supporting Euro-Atlantic integration. That means EU and NATO membership for all Balkan countries, which want to membership. Russians have other goals in the Balkans. They want to see the region divided with a high level of tensions. The Russians in 2016 have sponsored their efforts to pull up their hands in Montenegro. They have worked against the Prespa Agreement and blocked the North Macedonia Euro-Atlantic route. There is no evidence to believe that Russia would want something else in B-H”, Palmer said.

The American diplomat stressed that sanctions continue to remain in force against Serb leaders in this country, Milorad Dodik and Nikola Shpatiq, because the US has seen no change in their policy. „Dodiku and Shriki are under sanctions, and they are the result of their decisions and public positions. If they want to lift sanctions, they know what to do “, Palmer said, adding that “The US remains a powerful partner in implementing the Dayton Agreement, while B-H is a powerful partner in the fight against terrorism”.

Ahatovic: „Dodiku and others are Russian satellites in the Balkans“

During Matthew's visit Palmer in Banjaluka has been held the SNSD Serbian party congress, in which Milorad Dodik has been re-elected party chairman. Dodik said Matthew Palmer is also welcome in Banjaluka.

„I hope he realized that this is a normal city, with people and normal institutions, and that there are no factors here that try to harm the “processes, Dodik said. I understand why Bosniaks and Croats want to join NATO because Croatia and Turkey are also in this alliance. But even they have to understand why we don't want to enter NATO”. Dodik and Shriki will not be removed from the list of US sanctions, as long as they continue to work against American interests, analyst Nedzad Ahatovic says.

The American „interests in this case are similar to those of B-H, and they are Euro-Atlantic processes. So Palmer has directly blamed Russia for curbing processes in the Balkans. Destabilisation of B-H and the region through Dodik and other Russian satellites also addresses the interests of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, who will thereby oppose American interests in this region, and does not want NATO's expansion in this region. Conflicts in the Balkans could destabilise the EU as well and facilitate Russia's accession to this region. Seen by developments so far, Serbia is the main protagonist to implement these ideas”, Ahatovic tells Deutsche Welle.

Palmer for Kosovo.
American Europe Dipolomat Matthew Palmer said efforts to resolve Kosovo's status cannot connect with Bosnia and Herzegovina. „Normising reports between Kosovo and Serbia would improve the security situation in the Western Balkan region, and that would also pave the way for Kosovo and Serbia to membership in the EU, which would be very good for B-H“, Palmer said. /Tch/