NATO Dismisses Russian Warning to Bosnia Against ‘Hostile Step’

NATO has hit back to a statement from the Russian embassy in Bosnia, which said on Friday that "in the event of practical rapprochement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO, our country will have to react to this hostile step".

Each country has the sovereign right to choose its security arrangements, NATO said, adding that whether countries choose to cooperate with NATO - through a partnership or as a full member - depends on each individual applicant and the 30 allies.

"No third party has the right to intervene or veto such a process," Oana Lungescu, NATO spokeswoman, told regional TV N1 on Friday.

"All threats in this regard are unacceptable. The time of spheres of influence has passed. NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina have long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation. Cooperation with NATO does not prejudge any potential Bosnia and Herzegovina's future membership in NATO," it added.

The Russian embassy said its statement was "a reaction to several publications praising the benefits of Bosnia's NATO membership", but did not clarify which publications it meant.

"We call on Bosnian friends to think carefully, to weigh the pros and cons, to take into account the views of all the country's inhabitants who are far from consensus on this issue," the embassy said in a press release.

Multi-ethnic Bosnia is deeply divided over the merits of joining the alliance. Most Bosnian Serbs strongly oppose membership, while while most Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats are in favour.

In October 2017 the assembly of the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, passed a largely symbolic resolution proclaiming its military neutrality as a perceived counterpoint to moves to join NATO. The resolution proclaimed the neutrality of the Republika...