We need to find peace and stability in all areas where the Serbian people live, said the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Andrija Mandić, according to Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS).
Mandić said this at a press conference at the Palace of the Republic in Banja Luka with the President of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, the President of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) and Member of Parliament of Montenegro Milan Knežević, and the President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Nenad Stevandić.
Mandić pointed out that Serbs from Montenegro stand together with Serbs from Republika Srpska even when times are difficult.
"I have no doubt that Dodik, with a policy that invites the other side to talks, a policy that respects democracy, will achieve the goal of making all sides satisfied, and for us the most important thing is that Republika Srpska is satisfied. It is important that we support peace, coexistence and unity," said Mandić.
At the same press conference, Knežević said that the verdict sentencing Dodik to one year in prison and banning him from political activity for six years was shameful, and that the goal of the verdict was to eliminate him from political life because of his clear views, which are also advocated by the majority of the Serbian people.
"This is a shot at the Dayton Agreement," said Knežević.
He emphasized that for Serbs in Montenegro, Sarajevo could not possibly be closer than Banja Luka.
As Knežević adds, in November 2016, an institutional and media campaign was launched against Mandić and him, accusing them of promoting the idea of unifying Serbs and Orthodox Christians in their political speeches at Democratic Front (DF) rallies.
"That campaign resulted in a shameful indictment, after which Mandić and I were sentenced in the first instance to five years in prison. Back then, in 2016, many were running away from us, as if we were lepers, pointing fingers from a safe distance, not wanting to support us. The first to call and support us was President Milorad Dodik. We are immensely grateful to him then and now. It is precisely this matrix of political action that had its first institutional verdict in the case of Andrija Mandić and me, that continued through this shameful verdict against President Dodik, which aims to eliminate him from political life because of his clear views that correspond to the majority of the Serbian people wherever he lives," said Knežević.
At the same press conference, after the meeting with Mandić and Knežević, Dodik said that it was important "to show that we are united and that we are fighting for the policies we advocate, both in Republika Srpska, Montenegro and Serbia."
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He emphasized that the great victory of this generation of politicians is the rejection of territorial prefixes before the word Serb.
"We are Serbs, wherever we live. We are not Bosnian, Kosovar, Montenegrin. You can say Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but you can't say Bosnian Serbs," Dodik pointed out.
He stated that the understanding that Mandić and Knežević have for the people of Srpska is of great importance.
"It is important that we understand each other well, Serbs have the right to their identity, their gathering, to think and dream their political dreams, to say that they are not for war and do not wish anyone harm, but that we do not let anyone torture us," Dodik notes.
When it comes to BiH Independence Day (March 1st), Dodik pointed out that they cannot impose that holiday on Republika Srpska, just as they cannot prohibit them from celebrating January 9th.
"In addition to all that, we want to talk to them," Dodik stressed.
He once again called on political Sarajevo to implement the Dayton Peace Agreement.
"In Dayton, we were given the right to Srpska. With your behavior, you are leading us out of BiH. Forget about (former US Ambassador to BiH Michael) Murphy," Dodik added.
As he states, Republika Srpska supports territorial integrity, in accordance with the Constitution.
On February 26, Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity.
Dodik was then found guilty before the Court of BiH.
Dodik is accused of signing presidential decrees declaring two unconstitutional laws of the RS, which the High Representative had previously annulled, valid. These are the laws on the non-implementation of decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH and the non-implementation of decisions of the High Representative on the territory of the RS.
Mandić characterized the Dodik verdict as "an anti-democratic act and an attempt to forcefully prevent someone from engaging in politics," and Knežević as "a shot at the Dayton Agreement."
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