KOVAČEVIĆ: SRPSKA WILL FIND WAY TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO INSULTS AGAINST VULIĆ AND KOJIĆ

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 17 /SRNA/ – Serb deputy to the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Radovan Kovačević states that Republika Srpska will respond appropriately to verbal attacks against SNSD representatives in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Sanja Vulić and Milorad Kojić, in Sarajevo; foreign embassies remain silent, while someone insulting Bosniaks in Banja Luka would spark widespread reactions.

"In this case, everyone is silent, no one is saying that Serbs are being told to get lost and insulted for representing the positions of Republika Srpska. Full support to Sanja Vulić and Milorad Kojić! This will not discourage or intimidate us, we will always fight for Republika Srpska," Kovačević said at a press conference in Banja Luka.

Kovačević stated that an entirely unacceptable atmosphere prevailed at yesterday's session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, during which Vulić and Kojić, who defended Republika Srpska's positions, were subjected to insults, including shouting, "Get lost, Chetniks!"

"Sanja Vulić and Milorad Kojić have proven that we will not be intimidated or discouraged and that we will never give up on what the citizens of Republika Srpska elected us to do - to protect Republika Srpska, its constitutionally guaranteed rights, and its position guaranteed by the Constitution and the Dayton Accords, as well as the interests of every citizen of Srpska," Kovačević emphasized.

Kovačević says Serbs will give up on BiH, but never on Republika Srpska.

He called on all Republika Srpska citizens to remain calm, stressing that its representatives will find a way to respond appropriately to this verbal attack on MPs from Srpska.

Speaking about the discussion on excise duties, Kovačević reiterated that Republika Srpska's position is that excise-related issues should be discussed between Republika Srpska and the FBiH.

He says they will never accept the fact that the Republika Srpska opposition is joining the Sarajevo-based concept that decisions on key issues should be made in Sarajevo.

"We will defend the position of Republika Srpska as one of the two equal entities and the position of the Serb constituent people in BiH, as well as all citizens of Republika Srpska," Kovačević said.

He has added that Republika Srpska will make key decisions on the lives of the people of Srpska, not BiH.

"I believe Republika Srpska will introduce certain measures to overcome the current crisis and help citizens amid rising fuel prices," Kovačević noted.

He also said that the Government of Serbia has reduced excise duties on fuel by 20 percent, which now amount to over 0.90 BAM per liter, while in Republika Srpska the excise duty stands at 0.33 BAM per liter.