Former Republika Srpska (RS) president Milorad Dodik sharply criticised Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Defence Minister Zukan Helez after he refused permission for a Hungarian military plane carrying Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to land in Banja Luka on Tuesday.
Dodik, a staunch ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, described the move as an affront to RS and announced plans to block decisions within Bosnian institutions.
“This Bosnia and Herzegovina is not needed by us. It prevents our friends from landing at the airport in Banja Luka. That is not their airport. Injustice has given it some significance. This is the Republika Srpska airport,” Dodik said, according to local media reports.
He added that he would instruct RS representatives in Bosnian institutions to halt decision-making, accusing Helez of humiliating both him and Szijjártó. “We invited the man as a guest. We expected a good day, not something marked by a petty Helez,” Dodik said.
Dodik also issued a sweeping remark on Bosnia’s political system, citing a quote from former Bosnian President Alija Izetbegović: “If you cannot create a democratic country, you do not deserve to have one.”
Helez later said on his official Facebook page that he had denied landing permission in response to policies of the Hungarian government, which openly supports Dodik and his political agenda.
The incident sparked a diplomatic stir, highlighting ongoing tensions between RS leaders and the central Bosnian government in Sarajevo.