Slovenian non-paper on dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina published, does not envision breakup of North Macedonia

Објавата на написот со „нон-пејперот“ на словенечкиот портал нецензурирано.си

The Slovenian web site “Necenzurisano.si” published yesterday (15th of April 2021) the unofficial diplomatic document, i.e. non-paper, titled “Western Balkans – the Road Ahead”, being the subject of speculations that the Slovenian Prime Minister has sent it to Brussels. The non-paper predicts dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and merging Republika Srpska with Serbia, as well as Kosovo merging with Albania. As this medium informs, the document doesn’t mention changes of the borders of North Macedonia at all, as some of the media in North Macedonia had reported.

“Necenzurisano.si” writes that no one has officially confirmed that the President of the European Council has received such document, although there are claims that the document was sent in February this year to Brussels, but without any signature or sender identity. Therefore, the web site claims that the non-paper is not an official document of Slovenia, but just one of the potential non-formal proposals on solving the issues of the countries formed from former Yugoslavia.

Still, the web site points out, this non-paper was produced in Slovenia to suit the Balkans’ nationalistic circles, claiming that the key issues remain unresolved.

Regarding the solutions, the item A of the non-paper speaks about unification of Kosovo and Albania, when the Serbian part of Kosovo would gain a special status, like, for example, Southern Tirol, an autonomous province in the north of Italy, where German is the official language.

Under item B of the possible solutions, the non-paper suggests merging a great part of Republika Srpska with Serbia, which, as the authors of this work claim, could convince Serbia to agree with the unification of Kosovo with Albania.

As a third item, the non-paper is proposing a solution to the Croatian national issue with merging Bosnia’s Croatian majority cantons with Croatia or giving them the special status of “Croatian part” of Bosnia, by the example of Southern Tirol in Italy.

Under item 4, the non-paper envisions creation of a Bosnian state, something the Bosniaks will take full responsibility for, and this country could will decide whether it would join the EU in the future or would be acting as an independent state outside the EU.

The Slovenian web site claims that the new map of the Western Balkans does not envision changes concerning North Macedonia i.e. the non-paper doesn’t predict unification of the country’s Western part with Albania, nor any unification of Preshevo and Bujanovac in Southern Serbia with Albania.

The regional media are now asking whether the Slovenian President Borut Pahor knew about the non-paper that was prepared by Prime Minister Janez Jansha? The MPs of the opposition Social-democratic Party have requested from the Slovenian Parliament that a session of the parliamentary committee for foreign policy be scheduled, whernPrime Minister Janez Jansha and President Borut Pahor will be questioned regarding the media reports about the alleged non-paper for potential change of Western Balkan borders.

The Slovenian Ambassador in Sarajevo Zorica Bukinac was summoned on Monday by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to explain the rumors for alleged “new geostrategic plans for the Balkans.”

Prime Minister Janez Jansha’s Government, which was supposed to take over the presidency of the EU’s Council on the 2nd of July, refuted the claims in the non-paper. The Slovenian Foreign Affairs Minister Anzhe Logar, yesterday, in front of the MPs in the Slovenian Parliament, told that Slovenia’s strategy toward the Western Balkan hasn’t changed.

Logar has shown to the MPs an unofficial document about Bosnia and Herzegovina, prepared by Croatia and discussed by the EU’s ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels. Apart from Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus, the so-called non-paper was signed by Slovenia as well. The signatories supporton Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a candidate for an EU membership as soon as it meets all of the conditions, informs Delo, a daily newspaper from Ljubljana.