The Croat and Muslim Bosniak members of Bosnia's three-man presidency declined on Tuesday to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who was on an official visit to the country.
The top officials – Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic – said Lavrov, whose nation promotes Serbian interests in Bosnia, had shown disrespect towards their state, Reuters reports.
Lavrov did meet with the presidency's Serb member Milorad Dodik on Monday and again on Tuesday.
Read alsoUSSR 2.0: Putin's legacyKomsic said the first meeting, held in the Serb Republic's government office, was insulting as no national flag was on display.
"Mr. Lavrov, as one of the worlds' three top diplomats ... is sending us a message ... which we interpret as disrespectful and a denial of the state he is visiting," Komsic told reporters.
He and Dzaferovic did not attend a scheduled meeting with Lavrov at the presidency building in Sarajevo, where the Russian met Dodik again.
Komsic said that Lavrov, who on Monday backed the Serb Republic parliament's resolution on military neutrality, knew a regional legislature cannot decide such strategic policy.
"We are aware that we are small and weak, but we are not ready to be a hostage in any kind of games by Russia when it comes to their relations with the European Union and NATO members," Komsic said.
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