DODIK AND SHOIGU DISCUSS EXCELLENT SRPSKA - RUSSIA RELATIONS

MOSCOW, MAY 28 /SRNA/ - Russia is closely monitoring the situation in Republika Srpska and understands the pressure its leadership is facing, emphasized Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, after meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu.

“Russia is very closely following the situation in Republika Srpska and understands that the pressure on the leadership is very difficult for us, but they believe we can overcome these problems,” said Dodik. Dodik has stated that they discussed the Srpska - Russia relations, which Shoigu described as very good. “You could hear it yourselves - they are at a strategic level,” emphasized Dodik, who participated with Shoigu in the International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues held in Moscow today. Dodik has said that Shoigu is familiar with nearly all the details of the meetings he, as the president of Republika Srpska, had with the President of the Russian Federation, as well as with other high-ranking Russian officials. “We were treated very well here. It was stated that I was a special guest of the conference and was given the opportunity to be the first foreign speaker after the hosts’ opening remarks. That’s something that should truly be appreciated. It shows their attitude toward us,” Dodik highlighted. He added that he also discussed with Shoigu the difficulties of doing business under sanctions. “Shoigu believes that the sanctions have in some way ‘raised awareness among the Russian public,’ but that it is necessary to maintain certain business arrangements,” Dodik told RTRS. The president of Republika Srpska thanked Shoigu for the invitation to participate in the Security Forum.