DODIK: HELEZ HAS PRIVATIZED OFFICE OF DEFENSE MINISTER, BUT THIS WILL BE REGULATED

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 12 /SRNA/ – SNSD President Milorad Dodik said today that the Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers of BiH Zukan Helez has privatized the position, but that this area will be regulated in the future.

Dodik stressed that Republika Srpska will always support its representatives in the Armed Forces of BiH, who have demonstrated a correct and constructive attitude toward the constitutional order of BiH, representing Serbs as a constituent people and promoting fundamental values, such as the celebration of Christmas. "They are the heirs and guardians of the memory of the Army of Republika Srpska, an honorable and upright force that defended this people, one that was not mired in crimes, but was focused on establishing stability and peace as soon as possible and securing the political system created by the Dayton Peace Agreement," Dodik told reporters at the Kozara Barracks in Banja Luka, where a Christmas reception was held. He noted that the agreement has been significantly altered and that even the very existence of the Armed Forces is contrary to it, but that they were formed under pressure from international actors. "We accepted that, but the Serb component and Republika Srpska do not want to endure majorization anywhere, especially not within the Armed Forces of BiH," Dodik emphasized, extending Christmas greetings to all Serb members of the Armed Forces. He underlined that preserving stability and peace is of paramount importance, something Republika Srpska has consistently advocated and managed to maintain despite warmongering rhetoric coming from FBiH. "When they believed that, due to the injustices inflicted on the institutions of Republika Srpska, we would take a step that would serve as their justification, we instead distanced ourselves and sought space for new political activities with the same goals but different methods suited to the present time," Dodik said. He added that Republika Srpska is dissatisfied with the situation in BiH, as well as with the position of the Serb component within the Armed Forces of BiH, thanking them for their perseverance under unfavorable circumstances marked by disqualifications and the degradation of decision-making mechanisms. "However, the feeling and awareness that they are doing this in the name of the proud Serb people outweigh any discomfort that could be imposed on them," Dodik concluded. The Christmas reception, organized by BiH Deputy Minister of Defense Aleksandar Goganović and the Office of Orthodox Pastoral Care of the Ministry of Defense in the Council of Ministers, was also attended by the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović, Acting President of Republika Srpska Ana Trišić-Babić, Prime Minister Savo Minić, ministers of the Republika Srpska Government, and other guests.