DODIK: VISIT TO USA IN LATE APRIL, FOLLOWED BY TRIP TO RUSSIA

BUDAPEST, MARCH 21 /SRNA/ - SNSD leader Milorad Dodik has stated today in Budapest that he will visit the United States at the end of April, where he is to receive a prestigious award in Chicago for his support of democracy and freedom.

Dodik emphasized that the visit will include a series of meetings across the United States, which, as he noted, once again demonstrates that Republika Srpska is recognized internationally.

"After I return from the United States, I will travel to Russia, where I will attend the Victory Day parade," Dodik told reporters in Budapest, where he is attending the Conservative Political Action Conference /CPAC/.

Dodik referred to remarks by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who said that calls for his political elimination "do not apply" to him and his government, adding that he had the opportunity to witness that firsthand through the treatment he received.

"Everything is as if it were about a head of state, from the escort and security to the overall treatment. That is something you can experience only from friends. It is the same in Serbia, Russia, Israel, and many other countries. As for that verdict by Sena /Uzunović/, one day someone will probably flush it down the toilet," Dodik said.