MACUT: SERBIA STRONGLY SUPPORTS SRPSKA'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 8 /SRNA/ - Serbia will always stand by Republika Srpska and the people who live here, Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut said on Thursday evening in Banja Luka.

Macut pointed out that this support is not directed against anyone. "This is support for the right to exist, to preserve identity, and for agreed international obligations. This is support for peace, stability, and dialogue," Macut emphasized at the ceremonial academy on the occasion of the Day of Republika Srpska, January 9. Macut stressed that Republika Srpska is a reality, created out of the Serb people’s need to decide their own destiny; it was defended in war, and established in the Dayton Peace Agreement, which, more than 30 years ago, brought the war to an end. He stated that Serbia respects the territorial integrity of BiH, while strongly supporting the constitutional rights of Republika Srpska within the framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Macut emphasized that, regardless of what anyone thinks, says, or how they wish to shape BiH, the reality is that it is only possible as a country of two entities and three constituent peoples, where there is no outvoting or imposition of external influence. He added that, in addition to bringing peace, the Dayton Agreement provided a framework in which it is only possible to build stability and trust.