The President of the Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik stated that the independence and independence of the Republika Srpska is the political goal of the current ruling structure of that entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH).
Dodik assessed that the year 2024 was not easy considering the US sanctions that affected many individuals and companies, and considering the pressures related to the issue of state property.
"We are not naive to think that this is the end, but we believe that everyone has understood that this gang will not allow the seizure of property and that it is ready to go to the end. And as for that end for them, for us it is a political goal. And that is the independence and independence of Republika Srpska," he said in an interview with Banja Luka's "Glas Srpska".
He said that laws in BiH are passed by an "unelected foreigner" - the high representative in BiH Kristijan Šmit.
Speaking about the trial against him before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dodik said that he was accused because he does not respect the decisions of "such a foreigner" and that the goal of the trial is for him to go to prison or to be banned from political work.
Commenting on the US sanctions imposed on him and his family members with the explanation that they used dubious business to extract public money, the President of the RS said that his son Igor has nothing to do with the sanctioned company "Prointer" - "nor is he the owner, or anything. They had some communication and that's what I said before".
"And what if he was the owner? What's the problem with him applying for a job under the same conditions as others," Dodik said, asking where the investigation or process is that confirms "what the Americans are saying."
Dodik accused the US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Murphy, of imposing sanctions on individuals and companies in the RS, who, he said, acted through US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and the opposition "wrote lists of people and companies" and delivered them to Murphy.
Dodik believes that with Donald Trump's coming to power in the USA, things will change, judging that he will work differently from the now ruling Democrats.
"Our goal is the neutral position of America. Until now, they have been one-sided and did everything to destroy the Dayton Agreement. When we see that, we have no reason to defend it," emphasized Dodik.
The President of the RS said that the Day of the RS, January 9, will be celebrated this year as well as the Day of Serbian Statehood, Sretenje, as defined by the declaration of last year's All-Serbian Assembly in Belgrade.
"It is the national holiday of Serbia, and every Serbian holiday is also our holiday. We will celebrate it in Banja Luka, and then we will go to Belgrade. And one day, when we unite with Serbia, January 9 will remain a holiday," announced Dodik.
Commenting on the student protests in Serbia, he said that the RS "went through something similar through the story 'Justice for David'. It is the same mechanism" because the case of the death of that young man "was taken over by the parties and the opposition", said Dodik, who assessed that similar now happening in Serbia.
Although the November tragedy in Novi Sad is "painful and cannot be justified" and "it is possible that there is a system failure", "but, excuse me, what do you want from Vučić? Did he say that everyone will answer, did people resign, has an indictment been filed? All that is not enough," he said.
He assessed that "what is happening in Serbia does not exist anywhere" and that everything is "political talk". "What do they expect? That Vučić will imprison someone or that he will be imprisoned?" said Dodik.
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