DODIK: THERE IS A CHANCE TO STABILIZE SRPSKA

PALE, OCTOBER 25 /SRNA/ – The President Milorad Dodik emphasized that Republika Srpska has overcome numerous challenges since its establishment on January 9, 1992, and expressed his belief that circumstances are now different and that there is a chance to stabilize Srpska.

Pointing out that Republika Srpska has been under attack since its inception, Dodik said that even those who created it felt fear, but no one was indecisive. "No one left; everyone was there and knew what a state is – it is its Constitution of February 28, its Army, and all the laws we adopted at that time", Dodik added. He thanked the Army of Republika Srpska for defending Srpska, stressing that none of it would have been possible without a clear goal and determined leadership. "We had to pay a price, and that was not an issue—neither the will of the people nor the will of the leadership—but what hurts is that those who committed crimes are the ones pointing to the Serb people as the culprits", Dodik said. He stated that they failed in that attempt and that the Serb people remained their own, building Republika Srpska and creating new opportunities for a new future. Referring to the Dayton Peace Accords, Dodik said that the Muslims rejected that agreement from the start as a straitjacket, while the Serbs accepted and defended it after brief hesitation, believing it could be preserved. "Today we must say that the Dayton Agreement has failed, that in many respects it has not been implemented, and that efforts were made to use only what is harmful to the Serbs", Dodik said, adding that the Serbs are now ready for any kind of dialogue if the goal is to preserve the state union. According to him, the constitutional framework is acceptable to the Serbs, but an unconstitutional BiH is not. "We have the right to raise our voice", Dodik said, noting that global circumstances are changing and that the main levers of power are in the hands of the U.S. and Russia. Emphasizing that U.S. President Donald Trump is showing new perspectives on the state of the world, Dodik said that Republika Srpska is listening and believes that his politics could be a framework it can fit into. "He says that the matter of statehood belongs to the people living in that territory and that America must stop interfering in the internal affairs of others and shaping other states. That is a message we have heard loud and clear", Dodik said. He stressed that Republika Srpska believes in the renewed power of Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, who has once again made Russia a global power. Dodik reminded that Republika Srpska understood Russia’s need to protect 15 million Russians in Ukraine and refused to follow Brussels’ policies toward Moscow. "Our relations with Russia are spotless", Dodik said at the ceremony in Pale marking the unveiling of the monument dedicated to the creators and defenders of Republika Srpska. He expressed hope that Trump and Putin, without the involvement of biased Europeans, will once again reshape the world, adding that Republika Srpska is working to draw their attention. "To try to interest them and ensure that their attention does not slip away, so that we can finally put an end to our story of freedom and statehood", Dodik said.