Radovan Kovačević, a delegate in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated that the United States imposed sanctions on the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, because he refuses to bow to any dictates and insists on clearly protecting the rights of the Serbian people and Republika Srpska.
Kovačević emphasized that the American sanctions are not a personal battle against an individual but against Republika Srpska as a whole, dismissing claims that Dodik is isolated.
“He is not isolated from his people. He has consistently received the support of the people, the Serbian people, and all citizens of Republika Srpska in every election over the years, winning decisively,” Kovačević reminded.
He added that this will continue in the future because Dodik and the elected representatives of SNSD do not act on the orders of U.S. Ambassador Michael Murphy but fulfill their duty to protect the people who elected them.
“We will continue to do that, regardless of any personal cost,” Kovačević stated in an interview with TV Alfa.
He pointed out that the American sanctions against individuals and companies in Republika Srpska are aimed at suffocating Republika Srpska, attempting to prevent people from receiving salaries and pensions, but he assured that these efforts will not succeed.
“These are sanctions against the entire Republika Srpska, against every person in Srpska—whether they are Serb, Croat, or Bosniak,” Kovačević stressed.
Commenting on the statements from the U.S. Embassy in BiH that Republika Srpska should not risk the future of its residents for the benefit of a few individuals, Kovačević said the message is that Republika Srpska should not fulfill its constitutional obligation to ensure equality for all citizens but should instead sacrifice certain people whom the U.S. Embassy has suggested should be sacrificed.
“As a society and as a serious state, we will protect every person in Republika Srpska,” Kovačević said, specifying that this applies to everyone, regardless of name, religion, nationality, or any other identity.
When a journalist pointed out that Kovačević cannot refer to Republika Srpska as a state but rather as an entity, Kovačević responded by saying that while Srpska is indeed an entity, it has a State Administration Agency, and the Constitution of Srpska, which is aligned with the Constitution of BiH, states that the President of the Republic expresses the national and state unity of Republika Srpska, making the situation entirely clear.
Kovačević emphasized that Republika Srpska does not have a problem with the U.S. Embassy as a whole but rather with the bias of Ambassador Michael Murphy, noting that representatives of Srpska had no intention of trying to sit down with him.
“We made the decisions we did regarding Michael Murphy. We deeply regret that this man behaves in such an unprofessional, undiplomatic, and irresponsible manner towards Republika Srpska and the Serbian people, falsely presenting it as a conflict with one individual,” Kovačević concluded.
Recalling that previous U.S. ambassadors to BiH had maintained proper relations with the highest officials of Srpska, Kovačević expressed hope that with Murphy’s impending departure and the arrival of his successor, the currently strained relations could be improved.
Source: RTRS
