SAJIĆ: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA CONSISTENTLY FIGHTS FOR THE DAYTON IMPLEMENTATION

PARIS, DECEMBER 4 /SRNA/ – It was concluded at a roundtable on the Dayton Peace Agreement held in Paris, that only the framework provided by this agreement can guarantee stability in BiH, and that Republika Srpska is consistently fighting for its implementation, political scientist Nina Sajić told SRNA.

She emphasized that the Dayton Peace Agreement is neither a problem nor an obstacle to BiH's further European or any other path, but that the problem lies in its non-compliance, inconsistent implementation, and frequent violations and misinterpretations.

Following yesterday's roundtable, which brought together experts from Republika Srpska, the region, and France, Sajić said that most participants pointed to the Dayton Peace Agreement creating a framework intended to satisfy the interests of all three constituent peoples and the two entities.

"But given certain desires and aspirations, primarily of the Bosniak political elite toward the centralization of BiH, such an agreement has never been fully realized," Sajić said.

She noted the importance of the event being held in France, a country that played a significant role in the Balkans during the 1990s, not only because the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed in Paris.

"It is important that the views of representatives of Republika Srpska and the Serb people are heard, but it was also important to hear the French side, which increasingly understands the position of Republika Srpska and the Serbian people in the Balkans," said Sajić, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Banja Luka.

She noted that professors from France fully understand the situation and the fact that a kind of colonial governor exists in BiH.

"During my address, I tried to explain to our French friends the role of the `High Representative` and that kind of colonial structure, which is absolutely contrary to all European values contained in Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty," Sajić noted.

She has added that there is certain hypocrisy on the part of the EU, whose member states continuously send their High Representatives to essentially establish and maintain a colonial structure that the world left behind in the 20th century.

"This is very important, given that France has a history as a major colonial power and is attempting to confront its dark colonial past; therefore, it is important that we convey our position to them," Sajić emphasized.

She recalled that BiH has never had a High Representative from France, possibly because of that "dark colonial past".

"One could feel at the event that understanding exists not only among those present but also among the speakers. When professors from eminent French universities say so, I think we are on the right path," Sajić assessed.

According to her, France held the position in 2007 and 2008 that the Office of the High Representative should be closed as soon as possible, a position that has since been lost or adjusted.

"We have, as much as we could from our academic standpoint, attempted to explain the problems caused by the existence of the OHR," Sajić said.

A roundtable titled "Thirty Years After Dayton: Peace, Challenges, and Perspectives" was held last night in Paris, where experts from Republika Srpska, the region, and France analyzed the reach of the Dayton Peace Agreement, current political challenges in BiH, the role of the entities as agreement signatories and the future of the Balkans in the context of European integration.