The President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik met today at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
At the beginning of the meeting with the President of Russia, Milorad Dodik stated that Russia, as a witness of the Dayton Peace Agreement, remains the only one adhering to its principles, while its implementation has collapsed from the Western side.
“I am very grateful to you for that, and the situation in BiH is such that there is a constitutional order normatively prescribed, but in reality, there is something entirely different, which is contrary to this act, i.e., rights granted to the Republic of Srpska and the Serbian people are being undermined”, the President Dodik said in his address at the start of the meeting.
The President Dodik thanked the President Putin for principled behavior regarding the recent session of the UN General Assembly.
“When it comes to BiH, there have been unconstitutional initiatives regarding the resolution on Srebrenica. The West seized that opportunity, but it turned out not to be cohesive, as was evident from the voting. And you have said that all this does not contribute to understanding and trust, but to additional problems. I have a feeling that it was not even a simple majority of countries”, the President Milorad Dodik said.
The President of the Republic of Srpska emphasized that all agreements between the Republic of Srpska and Russia are being implemented, and the agreements reached at the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg will surely be implemented.
The President Milorad Dodik said that the Republic of Srpska remains principled and persistent in not joining the sanctions against Russia.
“We see that Western partners are nervous about this, but in any case, our relations remain good, and there are no outstanding issues. We should continue to cooperate as before”, the President Milorad Dodik said.
“I informed the President Putin about the All-Serbian Assembly, which is intended to demonstrate unity and bring an important declaration with guidelines for the Serbian people”, the President Milorad Dodik said, expressing gratitude for being invited to the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg this year.
The President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik stated that Russia understands the position that gatherings like the All-Serbian Assembly naturally belong to the Serbian people in the Balkans and that Russia, as it has always shown in the past, almost unconditionally stands behind what Serbs determine as their interest. The President Dodik said he informed the President Putin at today’s meeting in St. Petersburg about the All-Serbian Assembly, which will be held on Saturday, June 8, in Belgrade.
“From the perspective of what I conveyed to the President Putin, he sends greetings to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and all our people, supporting such activities as legitimate without initiating any misunderstandings in the region”, the President Dodik stated.
The President of the Republic of Srpska mentioned that he informed Putin in detail about Serbia and the Republic of Srpska jointly organizing the Assembly and that it should demonstrate unity and the assets available to the Serbian people in Serbia, the Republic of Srpska, and the region. He also emphasized the importance of a significant declaration aimed not at immediate implementation but as a guide for the direction of the Serbian people.
“From the perspective of what I conveyed to the President Putin, he sends greetings to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and all our people, supporting such activities as legitimate without initiating any misunderstandings in the region”, the President Dodik stated.
The President of the Republic of Srpska added that he believes such gatherings naturally belong to the collectivity known as the Serbian people in the Balkans.
“It’s crucial that Russia understands this position, as it has always supported what Serbs identify as their interest”, the President Milorad Dodik declared after the meeting.
The President of the Republic of Srpska noted this was his second meeting with Putin this year and that they plan to meet again by the year’s end.
“He is full of friendship and understanding. All agreements from previous meetings are being successfully implemented in all mentioned areas”, emphasized the President Dodik.
The President Milorad Dodik expressed gratitude for being invited once again this year to the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, under Putin’s patronage, and that he could see the dynamics happening here, which the Russian President informed him about.
“He mentioned Russia’s economic growth among the world’s highest according to World Bank data and its status as the world’s fourth economy by the World Bank metrics, which speaks to the fact that the processes in this country are properly managed”, said the President of the Republic of Srpska.
The President Dodik stressed it was a great honor today to discuss matters on behalf of the Republic of Srpska with a man who is an undisputed leader not only of his country but also globally, understanding the details of ongoing events.
According to the President of the Republic, Russia is the guarantor of the Dayton Agreement and has always adhered to its principles.
“Russia has been very disappointed in partnerships and agreements with the West, as agreements made so far have been completely devastated by Western parties, even the Minsk Agreement, which was handled correctly by Russia with expectations of its implementation”, the President Dodik stated.
The President Milorad Dodik said it is now clear that this was not the case and the West abused Russia’s goodwill to preserve stability and peace.
“I see determination to resolve issues. I see determination, as stated, to achieve Russia’s interests, and they will not back down from that”, the President Dodik added.
According to the President of the Republic, regarding the Republic of Srpska, they perceive the Dayton Agreement to be under threat and are well-informed about behaviors at the General Assembly.
“Russia was right there, while Germany and other countries were not. What we want from Russia is to understand our position regarding the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and the challenges we face”, the President Dodik emphasized.
The President of the Republic of Srpska added that Russia is fully aware of data concerning Christian Schmidt, the Constitutional Court of BiH, and attempts to undermine the Dayton Agreement.
“I heard here that Russia knows this and stands behind what constitutes the letter of the Dayton Agreement, as well as behind the Republic of Srpska and its efforts to maintain this position”, the President Dodik stated.
The President of the Republic of Srpska mentioned he also discussed with Putin the Serbian-Russian temple being built in Banja Luka.
“The President himself initiated this topic. I informed him of its progress and conveyed greetings from our bishop Jefrem. I said that this year the temple will be roofed and that it will require working on what we previously agreed upon, including Russia’s assistance in the internal arrangements and painting of the temple”, the President Dodik said.
The President of the Republic of Srpska conveyed his gratitude for the invitation extended to athletes from the Republic of Srpska preparing to participate in the BRICS Games in Kazan.
“I supported Russia’s efforts, one of the leaders of the global world, to organize the global world fairly, ensuring equal participation opportunities for small countries and communities like ours, especially in global issues of interest to our people”, emphasized the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
