REPUBLIKA SRPSKA SEEKS FACTS, NOT FALSE NARRATIVES ABOUT THE WAR

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 17 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska does not need any imposed narrative but rather the truth about all events that occurred during the Homeland-Defense War, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić said today, stressing that the Serb people are neither genocidal nor aggressors.

"If we looked at the number of Serb victims during the Homeland-Defense War and the number of legal proceedings initiated on their behalf, we would see the extent of discrimination involved and understand why we, as a people, have developed a particular narrative,” Minić told reporters in Banja Luka.

Following a meeting with Viktor Nuždić, Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Center for Research of War, War Crimes and Missing Persons, Minić said that BiH experienced a brutal civil war in which crimes were committed, reiterating that the Serb people are not genocidal and were not aggressors.

He praised the work of the Center, saying it deserves the support of the Republika Srpska Government and all institutions of Republika Srpska because establishing the truth is essential if history is to be written accurately in the future.

"Unlike some others, we will not invent facts. The work carried out by the Center is responsible, serious and extremely demanding", Minić stressed.

Addressing the possibility of returning responsibility for the search for missing persons to Republika Srpska institutions, Minić said the Government would seek a mechanism to resolve the issue.

"This is not only a matter of formally restoring jurisdiction but also of gaining actual access to the remains. Each time we face this issue, it serves as a reminder that without Republika Srpska, one can imagine what would happen to us", Minić said.

He reminded that the entire database essential for DNA analysis and identification procedures is no longer located in Republika Srpska.

Nuždić told reporters that he had briefed Prime Minister Minić on the Center's work and research activities to date, as well as on ways to improve the institution's future operations.

"The Center, as part of the Government, will continue to follow the instructions of the Republika Srpska Government, but its support remains of great importance for our future work", Nuždić said.