In two recent speeches, December 31 and January 9, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has set out a principled, practical and candid assessment of the situation facing BiH and Republika Srpska for the year ahead. He emphasized respect for the Dayton Accords as essential for the cohesion 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, not 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.
Within an international community of multiple, sometimes competing interests, President Dodik emphasized the need for the RS to strengthen relationships with major world actors, including the United States, Russia, China, Israel and Islamic nations. Significant progress in doing this has been made, especially in the field of economic relations. At the same time, President Dodik stressed the importance of progress toward integration of BiH with the European Union.
Most of all, however, President Dodik’s speeches called attention to the economic hardship so many citizens now confront. He reported that some help will come from new projects–some backed by international investors–now underway in the transportation, agriculture and energy sectors. President Dodik urged his fellow citizens to work in unity to secure productive employment for all and to support the allocation of public funds to those most vulnerable.
