French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he had a telephone conversation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić regarding developments in the Balkan region, mentioning in particular the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I recalled the importance of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and that we condemn all unilateral actions to harm it," Macron said in a post on X.
Currently, the dialogue between the two countries is frozen due to the fact that Kosovo has a government in office with limited powers.
When speaking about the situation in Bosnia, Macron said that he emphasized during the conversation the importance that France attaches to "the stability, unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as respect for the rule of law."
Their conversation took place a day after the meeting held by the Serbian Security Council, which assessed that security in the region has been seriously undermined.
The Council made this assessment following the decision of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sentenced Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity due to non-compliance with the decisions of the High Representative.
"I reiterated my conviction that Serbia's destiny is European and my hope that it can progress in the spirit of dialogue, on the path of reforms and membership. We analyzed the relations between Serbia and France and decided to further strengthen our cooperation," Macron said, among other things.
The Serbian President, on the other hand, said that he reiterated to Macron that Serbia remains committed to all processes for maintaining peace and cooperation, and that the protection of the Serbian people is among the main national interests.
"I emphasized our commitment to dialogue and respect for international law, as well as our readiness to contribute to the long-term stability of the region," he said in a Facebook post, also mentioning that he had invited the French president to visit Belgrade.
Following the ruling against Dodik, Vučić said that Serbia has not faced a more serious situation since 2008 - a reference to the year when Kosovo declared statehood, which Belgrade does not recognize.
Dodik said after the verdict was pronounced on August 1 that he does not accept either it or the criminal indictment, while on Sunday he declared that Republika Srpska - the Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina - will "retaliate" after the court's final decision.
His lawyer has warned that he will appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After being notified of the final decision, Dodik must accept a summons for the enforcement of the prison sentence.
Immediately after the call, the decision of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina follows, which must make a decision on the termination of his mandate as president of Republika Srpska.
According to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the mandate of an elected official ends "on the date when the court decision, sentencing him to imprisonment of six months or more, becomes final." REL (A2 Televizion)
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