Serbia and Bosnian Serbs Vow to Strengthen Ties

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Friday that Belgrade wants to maintain its special relationship with the Bosnian Serb entity, announcing the release soon of a joint "Declaration on the Survival of the Serbian Nation."

At a joint session of the governments of Serbia and Republika Srpska, the mainly Serb entity of Bosnia, on Friday in Belgrade, Brnabic told a press conference with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic that cooperation with Republika Srpska remained high on the list of Serbia's priorities.

She added that Serbia and the Republika Srpska were working on drafting the announced declaration, which would be presented soon. "It is going on its course and I hope the declaration will be presented soon. It is better to finish it properly," Brnabic said.

Cvijanovic meanwhile said Serbia had played no part in the mainly Serb entity's recent decision to suspend a long-planned referendum on the powers in the Republika Srpska of the Bosnian state court and prosecutor's office.

"You are talking about something that is called direct political influence. I do not recognise any direct political influence, but I recognise the political cooperation [with Serbia] that exists and will exist," Cvijanovic said.

After the session, ministers from both governments signed four joint memoranda, on cooperation in aviation, infrastructure, culture and information and post and telecommunications.

The joint session was preceded by a meeting of the presidents and the prime ministers, namely President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Milorad Dodik of the RS, besides Brnabic and Cvijanovic.

The border issue between Serbia and Bosnia was also discussed at this meeting, among other things, with Dodik saying he expected the...