Political analyst Dragormir Andjelković has assessed that the visit of the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik to Russia is of paramount importance because it lays the foundation for Serbs to redefine relations in the region in a much more favorable way in the future.
“The fact that various factors in the West and in Bosnia and Herzegovina will attack us should not bother us because they attack us anyway. They might attack us even more if they knew there was no support and we didn’t have partners. Like this, they’ll rage, but they cannot operationally do more to us than they would already do,” Andjelković told SRNA.
He emphasized that the meeting between Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan shows that the personal relationship between the two leaders has contributed to the creation of the Moscow-Banja Luka axis, which is of enormous importance for Serbs.
Pointing out that traditional friendship between Serbs and Russians, as well as the geopolitical circumstances they face with hostility from the West, have influenced this, Andjelkovic emphasized that excellent relations between Moscow and Banja Luka are of capital importance for Serbs.
“We are a small nation, and in this way, we invest in our future because the world is changing, and there is no doubt that Russia and China will mark the processes in the coming decades,” said Andjelković.
He believes that Dodik and Putin have built relations between Republika Srpska and Russia as if Republika Srpska had the size of India or France.
In his opinion, this is reflected in the short term in economic cooperation, favorable gas prices, possible credit arrangements, and political support.
Andjelković also pointed out that the Order of Alexander Nevsky, which Putin awarded to Dodik, is a first-class decoration for leaders whom Russians consider friends.
“The fact that Dodik, as the president of one entity, received that recognition in some way gives him wings. It’s then an even greater recognition because when the Russians decided to award that recognition to the leader of one part of the state community, it’s as if someone who is the president of the entire state receives two such recognitions,” Andjelković told SRNA.
Source: RTRS
