DODIK: SRPSKA STABLE, FOCUSED ON ITS FUTURE

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 9 /SRNA/ - SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated today that it was necessary to open the bridge in the Banja Luka neighborhood of Česma to improve the living conditions of citizens, emphasizing that Republika Srpska is stable, peaceful, economically prosperous, and focused on its future.

"Citizens deserve recognition, as they have been waiting for this bridge for years. We viewed the construction of the bridge as part of improving connectivity in Republika Srpska," Dodik said at the opening ceremony, which was welcomed by citizens with ovations and loud applause.

He emphasized that the bridge will be connected to the main road leading to Čelinac, in order to ease traffic on the existing road.

"Our vision is to do everything for the benefit of the people, and that is why we do not need any kind of division. We are here to work together and leave behind infrastructure projects, which people appreciate," Dodik added.

He reminded that Republika Srpska has contracted investments worth BAM three billion and that a section of the highway from Bijeljina to Rača will soon be opened, while the section from Vukosavlje to the Brčko District is currently under construction.

"What remains is to agree on the section from Doboj to Modriča. In the coming months, we will have a contractor, and BAM 400 million is needed for construction. Republika Srpska works for its people. We are increasing wages and pensions in line with our capabilities, and we are not yielding to various chaotic narratives coming from part of the political spectrum in Republika Srpska," Dodik said.

He stressed that the SNSD pursues exclusively a Serb national policy that is accountable to the people.

"We will not give up on that, nor do we intend to, especially when we know that the policies we have advocated have remained the same, policies in which the people have recognized and seen our commitment and our struggle to preserve values, as well as our property," Dodik said.

He reiterated that property belongs to Republika Srpska and that this is unquestionable.

"Republika Srpska owns everything located on its territory," Dodik emphasized.

He said that his role is to ensure a stable environment, which has also been internationally recognized in recent months.

"We intend to contract additional investments worth BAM one billion by the end of this year, which would bring the total to four billion," Dodik concluded.

Under earlier decisions of the Government of Republika Srpska, the public company Putevi Srpske /Roads of Srpska/ assumed responsibility for completing the bridge in Česma, as well as the access roads, although the initial agreement was that the City of Banja Luka would build the access routes.

The value of bridge works is slightly less than BAM seven million, while the access roads amount to around BAM 1.5 million, all of which were fully financed by Putevi Srpske /Roads of Srpska/ and the Government of Republika Srpska.