KUPREŠAK: SRPSKA SECURES ITS OWN VOTE IN WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FAMILY DOCTORS

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 11 /SRNA/ - The Association of Family Physicians of Republika Srpska should, as of June, be able to decide completely independently when voting within the World Association of Family Doctors, which will also carry a political dimension, as the voice of Republika Srpska will be heard among 40 countries and 280,000 members, the Association’s president Draško Kuprešak told SRNA.

"We are part of that association and have raised the issue of independence in decision-making. Amendments to the association’s statute are being prepared, and our delegate participated in the work of that body two months ago," Kuprešak said.

Kuprešak said in the SRNA podcast that since 2010, the Association had pointed out that the “one vote – one state” principle was not good, as within the global association, there were many organizations that were autonomous in their work but did not have voting rights.

"We pointed this out, prepared amendments, and persisted in it, and that provision has now been included in the association’s statute. From June, I expect a final decision under which the Association of Republika Srpska will be fully independent in decision-making – having its own vote," Kuprešak emphasized.

He added that, in striving to strengthen its authority, the Association, at a Southeast Europe meeting held last year in Ljubljana, nominated Banja Luka to host the next regional conference, a nomination that was accepted.

"We received unanimous support, which signals that we are on the right path. I hope that from September 23 to 26, 2027, we will be good hosts for around 10 countries in Banja Luka. We will promote both Banja Luka and Republika Srpska in the best possible way," Kuprešak stressed.

He reminded that the Association marked 20 years of existence last year with a jubilee professional conference that brought together numerous experts from Southeast Europe.

"We are trying to be a partner, to engage in dialogue and help the system reach the highest-quality solutions, because strong arguments need to be exchanged. We also drafted a strategic plan for the development of primary healthcare in 2023 and submitted it to the relevant ministry, to jointly refine that document and define shared priorities," Kuprešak said.

He added that, in addition to supporting colleagues in professional development, the Association seeks to promote cooperation with other specialist associations in Republika Srpska.

"Alongside cooperation within Republika Srpska, we have also tried to connect with the region. We are part of a Southeast Europe association that includes around ten countries, including Turkey. We can learn from those countries, but we also see that they can learn from us," Kuprešak concluded.