CVIJANOVIĆ: OFFICIAL SARAJEVO WILL BRING ITSELF ABOUT COMPLETE IRRELEVANCE

BANJA LUKA, MAY 29 /SRNA/ - Serb Member and Chairwoman of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović has emphasized that official Sarajevo will bring itself about complete irrelevance because those who refuse to engage in dialogue are missing opportunities for the country they swear in.

"You have raised your right hand so high, and it will be very difficult to lower it. Your policy is not to talk. Fine. Our message has always been that we are ready to engage in dialogue," Cvijanović said.

She has stressed that it is important for Republika Srpska that people know its representatives are always ready to talk; even the U.S. administration has stated that internal affairs are to be resolved through domestic agreements.

"This means no foreigner can do whatever he wants here. I believe that true reconciliation comes from people talking, tempering their ambitions a bit, and finding common ground and mutual understanding," Cvijanović stated in her RTRS interview.

Cvijanović has stated that things are no longer the same in the USA and there is now a very different approach to key issues.

According to her, during a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the Presidency members presented their very different views, to which he responded that the Americans will no longer be delivering ready-made solutions as they did in the past, and are primarily interested in preserving peace, while internal agreement is still required.

"At that point, I said, ‘Excuse me, I never thought I’d live long enough to hear a senior U.S. official speak this way.’ Before, it was always someone threatening you, punishing you, pointing fingers, and making brutal demands," Cvijanović emphasized.

She has added that the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State made it clear they do not want to be the global policeman or impose ready-made solutions.

"They emphasized that the Trump administration does not operate like the previous one, that they want to build better economic relations with everyone, that peace should prevail everywhere, and that they aim to help establish peace through peaceful diplomatic means. In other words, they don’t want to be involved in building other people’s countries," Cvijanović explained.

She has stated that her message was that whatever the Americans want for their people, she wants for her people, for her nation, and for all peoples living in BiH and the region.

Cvijanović has asked whether it is normal for a foreigner who believes he can usurp a country's democracy, democratic methods, and capacities, and noted that there are no longer American listeners who think that is acceptable.

She has reiterated that for 30 years the Office of the High Representative /OHR/ has had a malign influence, dragging the country from one crisis to another.

"If your interlocutors are asking whether BiH can survive, then you’re hearing a completely different narrative from what was common before. No one in any of my meetings said anything against Republika Srpska, against President Milorad Dodik, or against me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have been able to go there," Cvijanović said.

She has pointed out that her position is that BiH can survive, but only with order, the Constitution, and democratic capacities - not with constant harassment, sanctions, and accusations.

"Accusations against Republika Srpska no longer hit the target with the new U.S. administration. Yes, there are people on the other side, remnants in institutions, but they no longer make decisions, which is no longer the same story. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to their public," Cvijanović stated.

She says that BiH has become contaminated, and it needs an environment in which each side can pursue its own interests without harassment or suffocation.

Cvijanović also says that the Russian influence theory no longer exists in the American administration.

"You might find someone who likes to say something against Russia, but that’s not the system. The system that exists now doesn’t think that way. It’s no longer enough for someone in that system to write a letter against my visit and expect it to prevent someone from speaking with me. That no longer works," Cvijanović said.

In the U.S., she added, no one said "you must do this" or "you can’t do that"- instead, they said that the Western Balkans countries are there and that the U.S. is extending a hand for cooperation on normal grounds.

"It was important for Republika Srpska to communicate our message, which we did, and to recognize that someone now sits on the other side of the table who thinks in a healthier way. Many are racing to get there, even those who were most vocal in opposing that administration," Cvijanović stated.

She says she wants to use this new policy for the benefit of everyone in BiH, because what the previous authorities did was wrong, unconstitutional, and illegal.