Lavrov says Russia won't interfere in Bosnia Oct. 7 election

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Russia's foreign minister says Moscow does not wish to interfere in next month's elections in Bosnia, an ethnically-divided Balkan nation where Russia maintains strong influence among the country's Serbs.

Sergey Lavrov said Friday after talks with officials in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, that Russia will respect the outcome in the Oct. 7 general election, whatever the result.

Analysts have warned that Lavrov's visit could be seen as support for the nationalist Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik.

After Sarajevo, Lavrov headed to the Bosnian Serb main town of Banja Luka, where thousands gathered to greet him.

Muslim-Croat and Serb entities were established in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the country's bloody 1992-95 conflict. Over 100,000 people died in the war.

See Also:

• Portugal women's groups outraged by sexual assault sentence

• Spanish federation rejects request for league game in Miami

• Micron outperforms, but trade war costs emerge