KARAN: SACHS' EXCELLENT IDEAS ON HOW MULTIPOLAR WORLD CAN FUNCTION

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 28 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska President Siniša Karan said that a lecture by American economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs to the academic community in Banja Luka provided a number of important answers on how a multipolar world functions and how multipolarity can contribute to understanding and progress.

Karan noted that the essence of Sachs' academic work is resolving crises and that, from this perspective, he speaks about a multipolar world that brings many challenges.

"From the perspective of crisis resolution, he says that throughout history we have had many wars because of certain differences, and he seeks ways in which, in a multi-ethnic world such as BiH, we can find models of cooperation and progress rather than models of crisis," Karan told reporters in Banja Luka.

He stressed that education, alongside the economy and institutions, is important for the development of every society, adding that he believes the public and academic community in Srpska will embrace some of Sachs' ideas.

Karan said that the University of Banja Luka has the capacity to cooperate with a world-renowned professor and scholar such as Sachs.

Acting Rector of the University of Banja Luka Ranko Škrbić said that Sachs is one of the world's leading economists, who has witnessed numerous changes around the world and whose academic work has helped many governments resolve macroeconomic problems, while for decades he has also served as an adviser to almost all UN secretaries-general.

"Professor Sachs is not visiting this region for the first time, but this is his first visit to Banja Luka. Based on everything we had today and the awarding of an honorary doctorate, we have assurances that this will not be a one-off visit and that we will continue our cooperation," Škrbić said.

Škrbić presented Sachs with an honorary doctorate for his contribution to the development of economic relations and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.

In addition to Karan, the event was attended by Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Office for International Cooperation Ana Trišić-Babić, Finance Minister Zora Vidović, and SNSD Organizational Secretary Igor Dodik.