FUTURE OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA - ECONOMIC AND ENERGY STABILITY, TECHNOLOGY AND NEW JOBS

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 9 /SRNA/ - The future of Republika Srpska must be economically stable and strong, free, and capable of keeping pace with modern technological trends, SNSD Organizational Secretary Igor Dodik said.

“We must direct all our efforts towards this, stand united, and find a way to keep pace with current trends, especially technological ones,” Dodik said.

He singled out energy stability as one of the most important conditions for future development, stressing that Republika Srpska must be energy-stable and that energy should ensure absolute stability in the future.

He said that the potential of energy projects in Republika Srpska that have yet to be built, including hydropower plants and solar power plants, exceeds one gigawatt.

“Today’s energy potential would enable us to export electricity, but also attract major IT companies that would build data centers in Republika Srpska and store their data here. In this way, we could become completely independent, both financially and energetically,” Dodik said.

He also stressed the need to encourage educated people who have moved abroad to return.

“We need to focus on the people who have gone abroad and bring them back. They need to bring back the experience they gained at universities and in major companies, so that we can adopt good practices and implement them in Republika Srpska,” Dodik told RTRS.

Speaking about measures that should be taken to stem the population outflow, Dodik said that young people need to be provided with jobs and opportunities to resolve their housing situation.

As an example, he cited Ribnik, where, according to him, an apartment building for young married couples is already being constructed, while similar solutions should also be considered for Banja Luka.

“When you offer a young person a job and a roof over their head, there is no reason for them to consider moving abroad,” Dodik said.

He stressed that Republika Srpska must keep pace with technological and economic trends, create new jobs and enable young people to build their future in Republika Srpska.