Bosnia: Minister resigns over arms sales to Ukraine

Bosnia: Minister resigns over arms sales to Ukraine

BANJA LUKA -- Bosnia's minister of external trade and economic relations Boris Tucic has resigned "over the sale of arms from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Ukraine."

This was announced on Thursday in Banja Luka by the president of Bosnia's Serb entity, the RS, Milorad Dodik.

The Sarajevo-based daily Dnevni Avaz has quoted Dodik as saying:

"The reason is that the minister did not want to allow weapons, that is, ammunition, to be sold to Ukraine. We presented our position earlier and it remains principled, so I think this resignation is an ethical act and I stand in complete solidarity with it."

Dodik's SNSD party nominated Tucic for the ministerial position.

Tanjug is reporting that Dodik said the minister "did not wish to agree to arms sales from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Ukraine," and was guided by the principle of not taking part in deliveries of arms "to a country at war with Russia."

Dodik also said that "enormous pressure was put on Tucic," while he acted ethically and resigned. The RS leader also said he accepted the resignation, in his role as the SNSD president.

"Those who gained power on the level of Bosnia-Herzegovina can now decide on that, while we will maintain our principled position against selling arms to a war zone," he said, and added:

"Russia has said clearly what it thinks about those deliveries, and that it would not be good for Bosnia, that is, the RS, to take part in it."