Dodik: RS will not give consent for recognition of Kosovo

BANJALUKA - President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik underscored on Friday that RS will never give its consent for Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) to recognise Kosovo's independence unilaterally declared by ethnic Albanians in the southern Serbian province.

Dodik reiterated this stand during the talks with Director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric and Deputy Kosovo Prime Minister (from Serb lines) Branimir Stojanovic who attended the celebration of the Day of RS in Banja Luka.

RS believes that it should not give its consent for the recognition of Kosovo in BiH, Dodik said and added that RS does not see any interest in it. RS believes that the Serb national community needs to be established and stabilised and that Serbs need to get all the rights they are entitled to, he noted.

Dodik said that the talks also covered the problems of Serbs in RS and Serbia, especially with regard to the implementation of the Brussels agreement on normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and potential challenges in the process.

Recalling that RS provided financial assistance to the construction of facilities in Kosovska Mitrovica, Dodik pointed out that RS will continue to participate in the repair of schools and other facilities in Serb environments in KiM.

Djuric said that Serbia and RS share equal responsibility for strengthening of the Serb community in KiM.

Serbs have two homes, Serbia and RS, and they both rest on the same cornerstone, that is KiM, he said.

Djuric noted that the community of Serb municipalities will be set up on grounds of the Brussels agreement in 2015, which will serve as a guarantee of freedom, equality and survival of Serbs in the southern...