BUDIMIR: WE WILL CONTINUE EQUIPPING THE GENDARMERIE

BANJA LUKA, JULY 31 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska Željko Budimir said that the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior /MoI/ will continue the process of equipping the Gendarmerie with gear that meets the tasks and needs of this unit in the 21st century.

"The Gendarmerie demonstrates its capabilities and capacities every day in maintaining public peace and order, as well as in responding to all tasks that the regular police force cannot handle on its own," Budimir told reporters today at the Republika Srpska MoI Training Center in Zalužani, where he attended the commemoration of the seven-year anniversary of the Republika Srpska MoI Gendarmerie. Budimir pointed out that the Gendarmerie is the pillar of the Republika Srpska MoI for special tasks. Budimir thanked the members of the Gendarmerie for everything they did over the past year, which was very challenging and difficult, emphasizing that this contributed to and aided stabilization in Republika Srpska. "Every opponent who, at that moment, wanted to threaten the security of Republika Srpska was aware that these people would defend Republika Srpska. The state is order; without order, there is no state, and that is the fundamental task of the Republika Srpska MoI," Budimir emphasized. The Commander of the Republika Srpska Gendarmerie Slaviša Trifković said that the Gendarmerie will remain a full pillar of the Srpska MoI, ready to provide maximum protection to all citizens within its jurisdiction, to maintain stable public peace and order, and to respond to all security risks and threats. "The Gendarmerie has grown into a respectable operational unit, ready at any moment to respond to all security threats and risks," Trifković told reporters. He recalled that in 2019, the Republika Srpska MoI underwent a transformation of its units, whereby the former support units were reorganized into Gendarmerie units. Trifković expressed his gratitude to the leadership of Republika Srpska, the relevant Minister Željko Budimir, and the Republika Srpska Police Director Siniša Kostrešević for their comprehensive support and assistance in the development and strengthening of the Gendarmerie, as well as its material and technical equipping. The Commander of the Mrkonjić Grad Gendarmerie Unit Dragan Boškan who was awarded a certificate of appreciation for his successful work, told reporters that it is a matter of pride and honor for him to serve the people and Republika Srpska. "This job is full of challenges, characterized by teamwork and spirit, military discipline, physical readiness, and constant training," Boškan pointed out. On the occasion of marking seven years since the founding of the Republika Srpska MoI Gendarmerie, a certificate of appreciation was also presented to Goran Draganić, a police officer from the Bijeljina Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie was formed on August 1, 2019, through the transformation of existing support units, with the aim of providing an adequate response to more complex tasks and security challenges in order to ensure the safety of citizens and their property in the territory of Srpska.