Russia Balks at U.N. Support for Bosnia amid Ukraine Rift
Russia on Tuesday refused to endorse a U.N. resolution on Bosnia that Moscow said would push the Balkan country towards NATO and the European Union -- a scenario that led to the conflict in Ukraine.
The U.N. Security Council adopted the resolution backing the EU military force in Bosnia despite Russia's absention, but the outcome reflected East-West tensions over Ukraine.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said the European military force EUFOR, which has been working in Bosnia for over 10 years, played an important role after the 1991-1995 war.
"But at the same time, we are against having an international presence in the field of security that could be viewed as an instrument to accelerate the integration for the country into the European Union and NATO," he said.
French diplomat Philippe Bertoux noted that Russia had not in past years raised objections to U.N. support of the EU force.
"Russia imports the bad Ukraine atmospherics in an unrelated issue. Dangerous game," Bertoux tweeted.
British diplomat Michael Tatham added "Russia's U.N. obstructive position shows contempt for support in Bosnia-Hercegovina for country's Euro-Atlantic direction."
Post-war Bosnia has been struggling to unite on the way forward, with the country divided between a Serb Republic in the east and the Bosnian-Croat federation to the west.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/154937 |