DODIK: RUSSIA IS LASTING PARTNER IN UPHOLDING INTERNATIONAL LAW

SAINT PETERSBURG, JUNE 10 /SRNA/ - The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, states Russia is a lasting partner in upholding international law and that Russian officials fully understand the situation in BiH.

"They understand perfectly well that it is unacceptable for a foreigner, who was not appointed by the UN Security Council, to be entitled to do anything that leaves lasting consequences and could even lead to the breakup of BiH," Dodik said.

The president of Srpska emphasized that international law was violated elsewhere, not in Russia.

"Now those in Sarajevo are saying I’m making some kind of deal here. Well, I’m not. /Russian President Vladimir/ Putin has always said - respect the Dayton Peace Agreement and territorial integrity. In its view, Srpska is an essential factor, and we respect such Russia’s position," Dodik said.

He points out that those who have dismantled the Dayton Peace Agreement are now trying to blame Russia for it.

"Russia will not destroy the Dayton. It’s being destroyed. or nearly has been, by unarticulated politicians from Sarajevo, especially by cynical ones from the West, who keep inventing new mechanisms to make our lives harder," Dodik told RTRS in Saint Petersburg, where he is heading a Srpska delegation at the International Economic Forum.

Speaking about tomorrow’s plenary session at the Forum, Dodik emphasized the importance of President Putin’s speech given the current global circumstances.

"I believe the timing of his speech is highly significant, not only due to the special military operation, but also in relation to issues involving Iran and Israel, and relations with the EU and the U.S., the future prospects of those relations," Dodik stated.

According to him, Republika Srpska, no matter how small, should make the most of its high-level friendship with Russia.

"What we heard today at the Presidential Archive Institute is that millions of people in Russia now know about Republika Srpska, unlike a few years ago when they couldn’t even tell the difference between Serbia and Republika Srpska," Dodik said.

He announced that tomorrow, the central day of the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, will provide an opportunity to meet and speak with other participants on the sidelines of the event.