Press conference of the President of the Republic of Srpska in East Sarajevo

The President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik held a press conference today at the headquarters of the Government of the Republic of Srpska in East Sarajevo.

The President of the Republic of Srpska referred to today’s meeting of the highest officials of Srpska and the Federation of BiH with the General Director for Europe in the EU External Affairs Service Angelina Eichhorst and stated that it was agreed that on Monday, July 17, all three parties in BiH would submit proposals for de-escalation situations.

“We always start from the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two entities and three constituent peoples, which is also a constitutional determination”, said the President Dodik and added that Bosnia and Herzegovina should guarantee and preserve its territorial integrity, but that sovereignty is threatened due to the foreign influence.

The President of the Republic said that Srpska supports the European path of BiH and its territorial integrity, but that it is necessary to return sovereignty to domestic institutions.

Evaluating that the EU has various processes ahead of it that would allow some countries to join the Union as soon as possible and without fulfilling the previous procedures, such as Ukraine, the President of Srpska stated that this is an opportunity to submit the application for BiH’s admission to the EU as a package.

“If it is the 14 recommendations they gave or some more, they should deliver it to us as soon as possible and we should do it in the next few months and say that we are ready, but that BiH should enter the EU”, it was pointed out by the President of the Republic.

The President of the Republic of Srpska stated that for the essential de-escalation of the situation in BiH, it is necessary to withdraw the last decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, and Srpska will then withdraw its own law as well.

“Put everything back to the initial level before the decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If you do not do that, everything will remain in effect, so we will measure ourselves in this regard”, said the President Dodik.

The President of the Republic emphasized that if nothing is changed in that regard, Srpska will continue to implement the Law on non-application of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the territory of Srpska and will not publish anything that Christian Schmidt proposes because he has no legitimacy in this regard.

“Schmidt is fake for us, even if he brought gifts”, said the President of Srpska.

The President of the Republic of Srpska pointed out that he has no problem with the Croat and Bosniak partners in the government at the BiH level, but that it seems to him that some issues would be easier to solve with the SDA, than with the “Trojka”.

“It seems to me that they have gone further than the SDA ever used to show”, said the President Dodik.

Stating that he is principled and that he has no problem with their views, the President of the Republic called for the continuation of a sustainable movement, which includes the appointment of the Minister of Finance and the co-chairman of the Council of Ministers, the continuation of the agreement on all 14 priorities in the package or on an alternative that would in any case include the resolution of the foreign judges issue.

“The key issue that could be important for everyone, and I do not see that it is important for everyone, is the recognition of the dynamics in the EU”, said the President of Srpska and pointed out that if there is an accelerated path to the membership in the Union for others, he does not know why not would also be for BiH.

The President Dodik repeated that the Republic of Srpska does not see BiH in NATO, but that he understands that others want it.

“There is cooperation with NATO, but that does not prejudge membership”, it was specified by the President of the Republic.

The President of Srpska said that the Republic of Srpska never sought to escalate the problem and that it never called for any kind of conflict, however, the other side says that, if something happens, there will be war.

“There will be no war. For us, this is a pure political process”, said the President Dodik and added that Srpska will continue to follow the agenda it envisioned.

According to the President of the Republic, the measures taken by the Republic of Srpska, such as those related to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are always measures of reaction, not action.

“I propose that we all return to our initial positions, that the Constitutional Court annuls its decisions, the false high representative what was brought and we will annul ours”, it was concluded by the President of Srpska.

The President of the Republic of Srpska pointed out that he considers justified the request of the Serb member and Chairperson of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović to ask UN Secretary General António Guterres for relevant documents and decisions of the Security Council on the appointment of Christian Schmidt as a high representative in BiH in accordance with the Dayton Agreement.

The President Dodik said that the answer should be provided by the competent Guterres office, which deals with it, and that it is normal for the Serb member, as the chairperson of the BiH Presidency, to have correspondence with the UN based on the facts.

“They are as they are, i.e. whether the relevant resolution of the UN Security Council was passed at this and that session regarding the confirmation of Christian Schmidt as the high representative. There is no such thing. Some will say that Schmidt submitted a report to the UN, but that means nothing because it is a matter of power, not formality. Therefore, Schmidt is not formally a high representative in BiH”, it was emphasized by the President of the Republic.

When it comes to Srebrenica and the happenings in that place these days, the President of Srpska said that, unfortunately, there is significant politicization taking place in this regard, in which the international and western factors participate, which would justify some of their actions in that area during the previous conflict.

The President Dodik stated that they will not agree on many issues, and that foreigners continue to be uninterested in the pain of other mothers and people.

The President of the Republic of Srpska condemned the wearing of the so-called war flags. Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Srebrenica and Potočari, evaluating it as a provocation and hypocrisy of those who advocate coexistence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We consider it a distinct provocation, but we did not react to that provocation. I condemn it, it is unacceptable. It is hypocritical of those who advocate coexistence in Bosnia and Herzegovina to behave like that”, said the President of the Republic.