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Hungary ignores Bosnian decisions, Szijjarto addresses Dodik as president

2025-09-04 14:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto met with Milorad Dodik in Budapest on Thursday and addressed him in his capacity as president, despite his mandate having been officially revoked.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister has said that his country respects the will of the people who "have democratically elected their leaders in elections."

Dodik is no longer the president of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a decision made by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and another decision by the Central Election Commission, which stripped him of his mandate.

Hungarian authorities have good relations with Dodik, and official Budapest has blocked any European Union attempt to sanction him.

"We believe that this approach towards the leaders of the Western Balkans, which includes sanctions and humiliation, should not be a solution, and should not be an approach that is applied in international politics," Szijjarto said.

He added that external influence in the Western Balkans has traditionally resulted in destabilization. Regarding the illegal referendum planned by the Serbian entity authorities, related to the decision against Dodik, he said that neither they, nor Brussels, should decide on the future of Republika Srpska.

The Assembly of Republika Srpska has said it will organize a referendum on October 25 to reject the decisions of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Election Commission and the international High Representative, despite the fact that the Constitutional Court of Bosnia has previously determined that lower levels of government cannot organize referendums on state issues.

Speaking in front of the flags of Bosnia and Republika Srpska, Dodik repeated previous claims that Bosnia and Herzegovina "is a problematic state and case" and that the Dayton Agreement has not been in the interest of "many American administrations and offices in Brussels" from the beginning.

"As a contracting party, we brought Republika Srpska to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina was not a desire for us, but a necessity," Dodik said.

He has repeated the demand that the Office of the High Representative leave the country, and has said that "if things do not go our way," Republika Srpska will make a decision regarding independence.

A month ago, Dodik visited Budapest, where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The meeting took place after the court ruling but before his mandate was revoked.

At the time, Orbán said he "does not recognize" the decision of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina./ Rel