KOŠARAC: DODIK IS PRESIDENT OF SRPSKA BY THE WILL OF PEOPLE AND THAT MUST BE RESPECTED

SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 16 /SRNA/ – Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac has said today, in a meeting with the Ambassador of Italy to BiH, Sara Eti Castellani, that Milorad Dodik is the President of Republika Srpska by the will of the Serb people, and that this message should be conveyed to fellow ambassadors.

"Dodik represents the electoral will of the Serb people, and that must be respected," Košarac emphasized. Košarac told SRNA that during the meeting he clearly stated that the EU in BiH has failed the test called Christian Schmidt, as the political crisis was caused by his actions, resulting in additional problems and distrust in BiH. According to him, the institutions of Republika Srpska are responding to unconstitutional actions and violations of the Dayton Peace Accords in accordance with international law, the Constitution of BiH, and the constitutional capacities of Srpska. In the part of the conversation dedicated to BiH’s European path, Košarac pointed out that Brussels has often imposed conditions on BiH and has maintained an uneven approach toward the constituent peoples and entities. "I also pointed to the most recent example, when the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Srebrenica but not Bratunac," Košarac noted. He added that the SNSD, based on the fundamental policies and positions of Srpska's institutions, is not an obstructionist of reforms and the EU path, but rather a defender of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Serb people in BiH. "We advocate dialogue and agreement between the two entities and three constituent peoples, without foreign interference. Brussels exposed its hypocrisy when it stated that BiH cannot join the EU with the Office of the High Representative, and then gave full support to the illegitimate Schmidt and his unconstitutional and anti-Dayton actions," said Košarac, who also serves as Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers. When discussing economic ties between BiH and Italy, Košarac and Castellani focused on enhancing agricultural cooperation, particularly in the primary and processing capacities of agromediterranean crops. "In that regard, we agreed that representatives of the Agromediterranean Institute from Bari and the Italian organization FederUnacoma will visit Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH in the coming period to agree on models for further cooperation," Košarac said. He added that this topic will also be part of his upcoming talks with the relevant entity ministers.