REPUBLIKA SRPSKA IS A HOPE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF ALL SERBS IN THE BALKANS

PALE, November 15 /SRNA/ - Russian historian Jelena Guskova stated today in Pale that the creators of the Dayton Peace Agreement originally intended to establish a unitary BiH without a Serbian entity, but that Republika Srpska survived due to Serbian persistence, becoming a steadfast pillar of Serbdom not only in BiH but throughout the Balkans.

Guskova emphasized that throughout history, the West has demonstrated both Russophobia and Serbophobia, which were evident during the First and Second World Wars.

"They attempted to create a Muslim state without Serbs on the territory of BiH, but they failed to understand that Serbs - especially in BiH - are stubborn," Guskova told reporters.

She noted that the Dayton Agreement was drafted very quickly in the United States with the goal of creating a unified BiH without a Serbian entity, but its authors did not account for Serbian determination.

"Republika Srpska remained and endured despite everything," Guskova said, stressing that Serbs and Russians have historically stood on the same side through many upheavals.

Guskova, a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts /SANU/ and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska /ANURS/, said she was particularly impressed by the way Republika Srpska maintains relations with Serbs across the entire Balkans.

"Republika Srpska is a hope for the survival of all Serbs in the Balkans," concluded Guskova, who is one of the participants in the International Scientific Conference "30 Years of the Dayton Peace Agreement: Lessons of the Past and Challenges of the Present."