Accusations against the current leadership of Republika Srpska of lack of cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal are unfounded, because the authorities in Banja Luka have made great efforts to confront the population with the crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Assembly Chairman Predrag Markovic said in the statement.
The statement described as "absolutely unacceptable" Ashdown's threats that he would continue with punitive measures and even abolish Republika Srpska if necessary.
The Serbian officials cited Article 2 of Annex 10 to the Dayton peace agreement, which defines the mandate of the High Representative, saying that Ashdown "does not have the authority to dismiss officials, although he has abundantly exercised this authority for a long time, let alone change the institutional framework laid down in the Dayton agreement.
"Any unilateral and arbitrary revision of the Dayton agreement would threaten the political stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the entire region," they said, calling on Ashdown "to respect the Dayton agreement and the constitutional arrangement of Bosnia-Herzegovina and restore normal relations and cooperation with the Republika Srpska leadership."
"This is the best and safest way to resolve the present crisis and avoid serious political consequences in Republika Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the entire region," the statement concluded.