The following translation of selected excerpts from RS President Milorad Dodik’s address to the citizens of Republika Srpska is provided by BiH Dayton Project:
We are gathered today to mark the 21st anniversary of the establishment of Republika Srpska, and to mark the feast day—or Slava—of its patron saint, the Holy Martyr Archdeacon Stefan. God’s Peace, Christ is born. Happy Slava, Republika Srpska.
We aspire to preserve Republika Srpska for future generations, who should remember with gratitude and due respect the sacrifices suffered for its creation.
It was never easy or simple for Republika Srpska. The most difficult times were the times of war, but our people had the strength to overcome all difficulties, aware of the need to establish and preserve Republika Srpska.
The Dayton Peace Agreement ended the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also confirmed the continuity and international legal personality of Republika Srpska, which is a signatory party to the Annexes to this Agreement. The Annexes are the key documents for implementation and functioning of the state union created by this treaty and they are clear and enforceable. These include Annex IV, known as the Constitution of BiH.
We clearly say that we respect the territorial integrity and international sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, established through the letter of the Dayton Agreement, rather than anyone’s self-serving interpretation. We also demand respect for our rights, as constituent peoples and the Republic which entered Bosnia and Herzegovina with sovereignty.
History shows us that multinational states are giving their place to national states, mainly due to the lack of solidarity between nations and the feeling of smaller nations that they are being ruled by the bigger. The Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina will never allow others to decide their destiny.
Republika Srpska is an essential decision-making factor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we have practical and forward-looking solutions for all current issues. Our positions are respected at the regional and the international levels.
We have established partnerships with all countries in the region; we maintain contacts, dialogue, and cooperation in the capacity provided by the BiH Constitution and the Dayton Agreement with all major world actors, including the European Union, the United States of America, Russia, China, Israel, and some Islamic countries.
Cooperation with brotherly Serbia within the framework of the Agreement on Special, Parallel Relations is still our top priority, and we will add new dimensions to this cooperation in the future.
European integration remains one of our strategic directions, but not at any cost, and the process of integration must not be used for remaking of the political system of our country. We have analyzed domestic and international legislation and European practice carefully and we know exactly what our role in the European accession process should be.
We are aware that economic and social challenges today are more serious than in previous years. The main cause of these problems is the global economic crisis that has pushed to the edge of an economic and fiscal abyss much stronger and more developed economies than ours. The industrial and agricultural sectors and their employees, which are the foundation of every economy, have suffered the strongest blow. Taking into consideration everyone’s interest, it was important for this reason to conduct certain allocations in order to ensure assets for the most vulnerable and most sensitive groups within our society. Mutual solidarity and understanding are needed more than ever.
Our first goal is to maintain the existing level of economic activities, and if possible, to bring about their steady growth. We expect that the initiation of several capital investment projects in the areas of transportation and utility infrastructure, the energy sector, the gas industry, as well as changes and progress in agricultural production, will allow growth and produce new jobs. Everyone should take a personal initiative to engage in productive work.
The State and the people exist as long as they have faith that this existence makes sense and that new efforts are not in vain. Therefore, I invite you to work with unity to overcome the challenges ahead of us, as we have done in the past.
All citizens of Republika Srpska, I congratulate you on this great jubilee, and to you, dear friends gathered here today, I thank you for coming and showing your respect for Republika Srpska, its institutions, and people.
