2026 TO SEE CONTINUED STRUGGLE FOR REPUBLIKA SRPSKA'S SELF-AWARENESS

BELGRADE, DECEMBER 31 /SRNA/ – Former Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Vladislav Jovanović assessed that 2026 will be a year of continued struggle for the self-determination of Republika Srpska and for the rights guaranteed to it by the Dayton Peace Agreement.

"Since the beginning of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Republika Srpska has been continuously engaged in a strenuous struggle to preserve its identity and its rights to an independent life and self-determination," Jovanović told SRNA. Jovanović pointed out that those who seek to keep Republika Srpska in a constant state of uncertainty regarding its future moved onto the political battlefield in 2025 as well, attempting to weaken Srpska from within by undermining its political stability. He emphasized that it is now important for Republika Srpska to achieve political stabilization and warned that the other part of BiH is attempting to interfere in the internal political life of Republika Srpska. Jovanović points out that this was also evident through the challenges to the election of the new President of Republika Srpska and the decision to repeat elections in a number of polling units. "Whether this marks the end of attempts to impose presence in the political life of Republika Srpska or not will be seen after voting in these polling units is completed, but it is an attempt to keep Republika Srpska in a permanent state of uncertainty regarding its identity and a reliable future," Jovanović said. How long this will continue, Jovanović assessed, depends on how the United States positions itself on this issue, which in turn depends on how the US aligns its relations with its main rivals, Russia and, to some extent, China. Jovanović said that the number one task for Republika Srpska under the new circumstances is to timely identify all dangers and successfully neutralize them. He stressed the need to reaffirm pan-Serb unity, noting that the strength of the Serbian people lies in the defense of principles. "I believe unity, cohesion and wisdom are essential, as well as not allowing any side to trap us in so-called procedural issues, but always remaining focused on principled matters, because our strength lies in defending principles, international law, and the right of peoples to exist and freely express their will," Jovanović said. He expressed expectations that 2026 will bring slightly less darkness to the overall situation in BiH.