SAJIĆ: CVIJANOVIĆ CONTINUES EFFORTS TO PRESERVE SRPSKA'S AUTONOMY

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 24 /SRNA/ – The visit of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović to the United States is highly significant because it comes at a time when pressure on Republika Srpska and its leadership has continued as it seeks to present its position internationally and preserve its autonomy, Nina Sajić, political science professor in Banja Luka, said in a statement to SRNA.

Sajić noted that Cvijanović held meetings in New York with senior figures, including Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff to US President Donald Trump. She described this as a continuation of Republika Srpska's intensified diplomatic activity over the past year and a half to two years. She said this reflected the opening of new relations with the United States and the current administration, adding that Republika Srpska was already seeing what she described as tangible effects, including the easing of certain sanctions and a more objective approach toward BiH and the status of the Office of the High Representative /OHR/. "During the reception hosted by US President Donald Trump in New York, Cvijanović had the opportunity to reiterate that what Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović is presenting not only has nothing to do with the truth about BiH and its political and security situation, but represents only the position of representatives of one people, perhaps even only part of that people," Sajić stressed. She added that this represented a continuation of what she described as negative propaganda against Republika Srpska and an attempt to undermine relations among the peoples within BiH. Sajić also highlighted the importance of Cvijanović's bilateral meetings during her stay in the United States, not only with representatives of the US administration but also with Slovenian Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer and other officials. "We expect Cvijanović to continue this diplomatic mission and, we can freely say, her efforts and struggle to preserve Republika Srpska," Sajić says.