( dpa ) - Bosnia-Herzegovina would not be among the countries to recognize an independent Kosovo in the near future, the Chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite state presidency Zeljko Komsic said Sunday in Sarajevo.
Bosnian authorities would eventually have to confront that issue, but that would not happen soon due to very sensitive political situation and current relations among the ethnic groups in the country of whom Bosnian Serbs make up 37 per cent.
The situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina remained calm following the declaration of independence by Kosovo, without immediate reactions from the Bosnian Muslim and Croats, but with vehement protests by Bosnian Serbs.
More police had been deployed across the country, especially on the administrative border between the two Bosnian ethnic entities, the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb entity, the Srpska Republic over the weekend.
While a few hundred ethnic members of the Albanian community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, celebrated in Sarajevo, some 100 Bosnian Serbs gathered in downtown Banja Luka to protest the declaration of Kosovo's independence.
"We have waited for this for so long, and that finally happened," said Ismet Alia - a member of the Albanian community in Bosnia.
At the same time, around 100 Bosnian Serbs, mostly youngsters, led by a non-governmental organization Serb People's Movement, gathered in Banja Luka to protest against the independence and urged the Bosnian Serb parliament to declare the independence of the Bosnian Serb entity, the Srpska Republic, from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mass protests in the Srpska Republic are expected on Monday as n students across the Bosnian Serb entity have announced peaceful demonstrations.
The Bosnian Serb National Assembly is also expected to convene on Monday and pass a declaration condemning Kosovo's move.
Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik also condemned the declaration of Kosovo's independence, calling it a "clear violation of the international laws and the UN charters," and called on Bosnian Serbs to remain calm which was echoed by the Muslim member of Bosnia- Herzegovina's tripartite state presidency Haris Silajdzic.
"Declaration of independence by Kosovo must have no effect on Bosnia-Herzegovina. The change of the status of Kosovo is not related to Bosnia-Herzegovina and this country will not allow any interference in its internal affairs," Silajdzic said in a statement in Sarajevo.
He also warned that Bosnia-Herzegovina's institutions are obliged to provide peace and stability, if anyone tries to spread tensions in the country.