RT.com
25 Nov 2022, 03:43 GMT+10
US President Joe Biden has reportedly congratulated Bosnian Serbleader Milorad Dodik on a holiday his people boycott.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik on a holiday his people boycott. Arguing that only Bosnia and Herzegovina's Muslim population celebrate Statehood Day, the Orthodox Christian Dodik accused Biden of attempting a "provocation."
Speaking at a press conference in Belgrade, Dodik accused Biden of stoking division within Bosnia and Herzegovina by sending greetings to the country ahead of its Statehood Day on November 25.
"I don't know what I would call it and all the employees of the US embassy know that November 25 is not a holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said, according to local media.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, often shortened to BiH, is made up of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republika Srpska. The former is more than two-thirds Bosnian Muslim, with Croats accounting for 20% of the population and Serbs a minority at 2.5%. The latter is more than 82% Serbian.
Power in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is shared by a representative of each ethnic group, while Dodik was elected President of Republika Srpska earlier this month.
Addressed to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's three leaders, Biden's letter called on them to "put aside their differences and work to build a better future." The letter also urged them to clamp down on corruption and align themselves with "the Euro-Atlantic community of nations," N1, a Balkan news agency, reported.
Statehood Day marks the decision of the Bosnian National Anti-Fascist Council (ZAVNOBiH) in 1943 to declare BiH a future federal unit within the socialist Federation of Yugoslavia. It became the national holiday in modern BiH as laws carried over from the former federal state under the US-brokered Dayton Agreement, although Republika Srpska and Serbian leaders within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina never recognized the date.
"27 years since the end of the [1992-1995] war is enough time for the American representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn this and finally inform their government and the service that deals with sending congratulations on behalf of the US president," Dodik declared at Thursday's press conference.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Europe Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Europe Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. President...
GENEVA, Switzerland: A new United Nations report alleges that dozens of global corporations are profiting from and helping sustain...
LONDON, UK - Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have voted overwhelmingly to proscribe the direct-action group Palestine Action as a terrorist...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama is set to address a significant three-day conference of Buddhist leaders this week, coinciding with...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: In a significant ruling last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for users...
ISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS: As searing temperatures blanket much of Europe, wildfires are erupting and evacuation orders are being issued...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Grammarly is doubling down on AI-powered productivity tools with the acquisition of Superhuman, a sleek...
NEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...