The scandal due to the icon that Milorad Dodik, the Chairman of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina gave to the Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov is still a top topic in BiH, Ukraine, but it is also being monitored internationally. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that they wanted an explanation of how the icon was found in BiH and why it was given to Lavrov, Avaz writes.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told the BBC in Ukraine that the Ukrainian Embassy had sent an official note to the BiH Foreign Ministry requesting an explanation and information on the circumstances of the case.
The Ukrainian side, he added, is waiting for a meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, and he emphasized that they learned about this case from the media. Ukraine, as he points out, wants an explanation of how the icon was found on the territory of BiH and why it was given to the Russian minister.
The text states that this is not the first time that Milorad Dodik has been involved in a scandal related to Ukraine. It is recalled that, during his time as President of the Republika Srpska, he supported Russia’s actions in Crimea, which was condemned by the Embassy of Ukraine in March 2014.
We remind you that on December 14, Dodik presented Lavrov with a 300-year-old gilded icon that was found in Lugansk. The stamp is also stamped on the back of the icon as proof that it is an original specimen, so Ukraine requested information on the subject of Ukrainian cultural heritage. The media in Ukraine are writing about this “diplomatic scandal” this morning.
