JOINT SESSION OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURTS TO BE HELD IN SREMSKI KARLOVCI ON SEPTEMBER 14

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 20 /SRNA/ - The first special joint session of the Constitutional Courts of Republika Srpska and Serbia will be held on September 14 in Sremski Karlovci, Serbian Constitutional Court President Vladan Petrov announced following today's meeting in Belgrade with Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić, during which they discussed strengthening institutional cooperation.

Petrov said that the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and the Constitutional Court of Serbia are two institutions that "embody two forms of sovereignty, embodied in one".

"We discussed strengthening institutional cooperation, which, unfortunately, has not been sufficiently developed between the two Constitutional Courts in the past," Petrov said.

He thanked Stevandić for supporting the organization of the upcoming meeting in Sremski Karlovci and expressed hope that such meetings would become a tradition.

"I hope there will be more such meetings and that they will acquire institutional and even traditional significance, and, in any case, serve to establish continuity in what I would describe as state-building, institutional, national, democratic and always conciliatory action in our part of the world," Petrov said.

Stevandić said that this was the first visit by an official from Republika Srpska to the Constitutional Court of Serbia, the Republika Srpska National Assembly said in a statement.

"We are looking ahead to better times, joint sessions and meetings of the Constitutional Courts of Serbia and Republika Srpska. We cooperate in areas that safeguard historical, democratic and legal values," Stevandić said.

He expressed hope that cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska would become even better and more successful every day, stressing that it was not directed against any individual or people.

"This is a contribution to overall regional peace and stability, respect for human rights, the rights enshrined in the UN Charter, and the rights of every person, regardless of their ethnic group. Our Serbian people should enjoy these rights, just as other peoples do," Stevandić said.

The meeting was also attended by Serbian Constitutional Court Deputy President Ranko Vujović and Constitutional Court judge Nikola Banjac.