THREE PILLARS OF ACTION - REAFFIRMATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY, INSTITUTIONAL UNITY AND PEACE

BANJA LUKA, FEBRUARY 17 /SRNA/ - The newly elected President of Republika Srpska Sinša Karan said that his work will be directed toward three pillars considering reaffirmation of the constitutional identity and original Dayton Peace Agreement through institutional, legal and political fight, institutional unity of Srpska, and peace and dialogue without giving up on competences and without agreeing on impositions.

Karan pointed out that the unity of Serb representatives in the BiH institutions is not an option, but an obligation, and according to the Dayton structure, conceived as the only possible way of functioning. "There must be no divisions in Sarajevo that are absolutely legitimate within Republika Srpska and in the democratic game. They are all representatives of Republika Srpska, which is their electoral unit. In this sense, we call on all politicians for public dialogue, responsibility, principles and dignity," Karan told reporters in Banja Luka. He said that he supports everything that is in accordance with the Constitution and Dayton, and that he will not accept anything that is outside that framework. According to him, Srpska must be aware of its own statehood and constitutionality given by the Dayton Peace Agreement. He thanked many who congratulated him on his election, including the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Ministers of Hungary and Israel, Viktor Orbán and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, the President of the Montenegro Assembly Andrija Mandić, the archbishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and all those who recognized the importance of peace. Karan said that the foreign policy of Srpska will be a policy of cooperation and balance, with countries that seek fair relationship. He pointed out that in the past period, Republika Srpska gained strong credibility in international political relations thanks to the SNSD Leader Milorad Dodik, Serb member of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović, and /Acting President of Republika Srpska/ Ana Trišić-Babić. "I want to emphasize that peace is our greatest victory and our greatest responsibility. Republika Srpska does not seek conflict, nor it wants to impose its will to anyone, but we also will not agree to have someone else's will be imposed on us. There is a limit beyond which compromise becomes capitulation, and that limit is called constitutionality," Karan noted. He stated that BiH can have a future as a community of two entities and three constituent nations if the Dayton structure is respected. According to him, Srpska should be protected and developed to be stronger and more self-sustaining. "At the same time, we will respect every victim and every pain, every mother who has lost a child carries the same weight in her heart, regardless of her name and surname. That's why we don't build our relationships on humiliation, but on truth, respect and law," said Karan.