The leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), ruling in Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said that he had received an invitation from two American congressmen to visit the United States of America (USA) on February 7th and 8th.
"I have a problem because the repeat elections (for the president of RS) are on February 8, and I want to be here (in RS) on that date, so that these speculators cannot say: 'Here he is, he left!'. No, if I go, I will definitely go for a day or two to play around with the situation a bit. Let them think what they want," Dodik told Banja Luka's Alternative Television (ATV), but added that he has not yet decided whether he will travel.
He said that in four days he would travel to Israel, where he would meet with the country's highest officials, as well as "important people from the Jewish world" who gather once a year for a conference in Jerusalem on the position of Jews in the world.
Dodik pointed out that "they, as a people, are very present in decision-making places like America and it is important for me to be there."
He assessed that it was important that Republika Srpska "rehabilitated" its relations with the USA.
"Many tried to see the mystification. We played fair with them. And when (US President Donald) Trump was in office for the first time, we supported him, that was known," Dodik said.
Stating that he would have supported Trump even if his administration had not lifted the sanctions, he assessed that Trump is "a solution for both us and America."
"Since the previous administration (Joseph Biden) we have only had a pogrom and a funeral for Republika Srpska. Not everything is good now, not everything has been cleared of the mess made by predecessors, but it is somewhat easier for us in all of this," Dodik said.
Stating that there was speculation about what he had given to get the US to lift sanctions, he said that he "gave nothing."
"Can the small Republika Srpska give America something significant? People have the right to speculate and lie," the SNSD leader said.
Speaking about the annulled laws that prohibited the implementation of decisions of the High Representative in BiH and the Constitutional Court of BiH in the RS, as well as the ban on the activities of the Court, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH and the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) on the territory of that entity of BiH, which the Bosnian and Herzegovina media called an American plan for "de-escalation of the crisis in BiH" and the reason for lifting sanctions against Dodik, his family members and closest associates, Dodik said that "the laws that have been withdrawn exist and could easily be put on the agenda one day."
According to him, the RS leadership has changed its method of action, but not its goal.
Dodik announced that an appeal will be filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in the coming days against the verdict of the Court of BiH, which sentenced him to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity for failing to implement the decisions of the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt.
"We will try to use that, we hope there is some objectivity. If they receive (the complaint), if they see that, there is no other way out but to annul it all," Dodik believes.
In the end, he said that he "cannot expect anything with certainty" before the European Court, considering that "everything is being politicized and becoming a political body, not a judicial one."
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