MESSAGE FROM PANEL IN STUTTGART – EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS MUST REMAIN ALIGNED WITH CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

STUTTGART, DECEMBER 6 /SRNA/ – The process of European integration must remain aligned with the constitutional framework defined by the Dayton Peace Agreement, it was emphasized in Stuttgart at a panel organised by the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Germany on the occasion of three decades since the establishment of the Dayton-based order.

At the panel titled “The Dayton Peace Agreement – 30 Years Later: Between Peace, Sovereignty, and European Integration,” the Minister for European Integration and International Cooperation of Republika Srpska, Zlatan Klokić, has stated that the Dayton Peace Agreement has been violated many times under the influence of foreign politicians. He noted that new competences at the state level were created that were not defined in the Constitution, something representatives of Republika Srpska consistently point out. Minister Klokić says it is very important, 30 years after the Dayton, to discuss the significance of the agreement and what it brought to Republika Srpska, noting that these include international recognition and clearly defined competencies. He also stressed that Republika Srpska supports the European path, assessing that dialogue, compromise, and respect for the Constitution are essential for progress toward the EU. The Head of the Representative Office of Republika Srpska in Germany, Mićo Ćetković, who delivered the introductory remarks, emphasized that many competences have been taken away from Republika Srpska and that, as a result, the Dayton Peace Agreement has been undermined. He stressed that marking the 30th anniversary of the agreement is an important opportunity to reaffirm its significance as the foundation of peace and institutional order. Ćetković highlighted that the Dayton Peace Agreement is not only a document that ended the war, but also a framework that enabled the development of democratic processes and the path toward European integration, stressing that its principles must be consistently respected to preserve stability as a prerequisite for any progress. He expressed special gratitude to students from Republika Srpska studying in Germany, noting that they represent an important bridge of cooperation, knowledge, and future partnerships. One of the panel participants, permanent professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Banja Luka, Vitomir Popović, said that the Dayton Peace Agreement is one of the most significant agreements in the recent history of so-called Dayton-based BiH, because Republika Srpska was for the first time internationally recognised along with its Constitution of February 28, 1992, and with its structure as it existed at that time. Unfortunately, Popović noted, there were issues in implementing the agreement, as certain powers, especially after the introduction of the Bonn powers, were transferred to the so-called high representatives. According to him, they often changed certain provisions, primarily with the goal of creating a unitary BiH in some way diminishing the powers of the entities, both Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH. “Fortunately, this did not go so far that one could say Republika Srpska had fully lost its sovereignty,” Popović said. The participants concluded jointly that peace, dialogue, constitutional consistency, and respect for differences are key to stability and a successful European path for BiH and Republika Srpska in the years ahead.