GSV: We will ask the departments if there were travel expenses for Kovač and Damjanović

The General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro (GSV) will ask the ministries of justice and finance whether there were travel expenses for the heads of those departments, Marko Kovač and Aleksandar Damjanović, in Banjaluk to the ceremonial academy on the occasion of Republika Srpska (RS) Day, and if so, how much were presented.

This was announced to "Vijesti" from GSV in response to the question whether the Government covered the costs of that trip, bearing in mind that Kovač claims that he was in Banja Luka in the capacity of a minister.

Damjanović, on the other hand, says that he was at the ceremony the day before yesterday in his own name.

GSV reiterated that the Government did not consider the platform for that trip, and that the ministers were not authorized to represent it.

"In relation to the costs, the ministries are special budget units and they are the address to declare about the method of financing the costs of the activity in question. Due to the public interest, GSV will contact these ministries with the question whether there was any and, if so, how much the costs were." , point out from GSV.

Kovač and Damjanović attended the ceremony at the invitation of the President of the RS Milorad Dodik.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina disputed January 9 as the Day of the RS and declared the celebration of that date unconstitutional.

Bisera Turković, the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country, sent a letter of protest to Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović yesterday, stating that the presence of government officials at the academy celebrating January 9 as the Day of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina violates the inter-neighboring relations between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Government pointed out that it unquestionably respects the integrity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH, supporting its European path and inheriting friendly and good-neighborly relations based on traditionally strong interstate ties, common European aspirations, economic cooperation and further infrastructural connection.

"Montenegro respects all decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and cooperates with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as with the entity of the RS, at the level and in the scope defined by the constitutions and laws of the two countries," they said.

Abazović announced today that he will not dismiss the ministers, and that they said they support the constitutional arrangement of Bosnia and Herzegovina.