KARAN: SRPSKA AND SERBIA ARE GUARANTORS OF PRESERVATION OF SERBIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 24 /SRNA/ - The President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan stated that the stay of children from Kosovo and Metohija in Republika Srpska goes beyond its humanitarian character and that Serbia and Republika Srpska must, in this way as well, serve as guarantors of the preservation of the Serbian national being, which was formed and originated in Kosovo and Metohija.

"The Serbian national being is synonymous with the statehood and identity of the Serbian people," Karan told reporters in Banja Luka at a ceremonial reception for 550 students and educators from Kosovo and Metohija who are staying in Republika Srpska as part of the programme "Let Us Bring Together the Children of Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska". Karan recalled the Declaration adopted at the All-Serb Assembly on the protection of the national and political identity and the common future of all Serbs wherever they live, describing it as the most significant document of the Serbian people in the past 100 years. "This declaration also envisages exchange visits by our children and young people so that they may understand that we are part of one people and one national identity, sharing the same faith, culture, customs, script, and language," Karan emphasized. He said that this is particularly important for children in Kosovo and Metohija, where Serbs are exposed to constant existential pressures to survive and sustain their lives, and where their national identity is constantly challenged. "Serbia and Republika Srpska must also, in this way, serve as guarantors of the preservation of their overall existence, especially their national identity, because the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have not grown weaker, but rather stronger and stronger," Karan said. Karan welcomed the children and their teachers from Kosovo and Metohija to Republika Srpska and thanked all institutions, local communities, schools, and the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija for their contribution to the implementation of this programme. In addition to President Karan, the reception was attended by Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić, Minister of Education and Culture Borivoje Golubović, and Milorad Arlov, President of the Committee for Assistance to Kosovo and Metohija. Besides the students and teachers from Kosovo and Metohija, the reception was also attended by representatives of local communities from Republika Srpska, school principals, and education professionals.