DODIK: WE HAVE A STRATEGIC LEVEL OF COOPERATION WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

JERUSALEM, JANUARY 28 /SRNA/ - President of the SNSD Milorad Dodik stated after a meeting of the Republika Srpska delegation with the Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov that Srpska maintains a strategic level of cooperation with the Russian Federation.

Dodik said that during the meeting in Jerusalem, discussions focused on historical revisionism, which spreads falsehoods about the suffering of the Russian, Serbian, and also Jewish peoples. "In this regard, we fully agree that everything possible should be done through the media, scientific conferences, and historical studies to pass this knowledge on to younger generations and preserve the truth about these tragedies," Dodik told reporters. He added that this is the only way to maintain correct relations among peoples and states. Dodik noted that the Russian Federation, led by Vladimir Putin, opposed the advance of globalism, and he questioned what would have happened if Russia had not had such a strong and powerful leader resisting neoliberalism and globalism, which aim to dominate other peoples as well as Russia. "All the warnings from the Russian side to keep NATO from approaching its borders, to preserve Ukraine's neutrality, and to protect almost 15 million Russians were ignored by the West. They even encouraged the Kiev authorities to abolish the Russian language, ban its official use, and attempted to divide the Russian Orthodox Church," Dodik said. He recalled participating in a 2007 conference in Munich where Putin clearly outlined the goals of the Russian Federation, expecting to be heard by serious institutions and individuals. "They did not want to understand. I believe their goal was never Ukraine; their target was Russia. And what happened to us in the Balkans, especially to the Serbs, we believe it was just practice for these operations now taking place in Ukraine," Dodik stressed. He added that the military operation undertaken by Russia in Ukraine is completely justified and correct, considering the prior warnings. Dodik emphasized that the Republika Srpska continues to cooperate with the Russian Federation. "Everywhere in the world we go, we express our stance on this. Here in Israel, we were warmly received by the Israeli authorities and had very positive impressions. But this event is important in the overall context, particularly in connection with our meeting with the Russian Ambassador," Dodik said. The Republika Srpska delegation will conclude its multi-day visit to Israel tomorrow.