Republika Srpska will always pursue policies that are in the best interest of its citizens, and no threats or sanctions will deter it from this path, said Radovan Kovačević, spokesperson for SNSD.
“We do not prioritize the interests of the United States, political Sarajevo, Brussels, or anyone else. We may have some common interests, but our primary, key, and sole interest is always to protect the position of Republika Srpska and the rights of the Serb people in BiH, and we will not deviate from that,” Kovačević told ATV.
He remarked that the U.S. ambassador in BiH, Michael Murphy, is extremely biased and has fully immersed himself in the political environment of Sarajevo, which harbors animosity towards Republika Srpska and the Serb people, and would only accept the Serbs if they embraced Alija’s vision of BiH—one without entities, without the rights guaranteed to Serbs and Croats, and shaped entirely to the preferences of the Bosniaks.
“The fact is that the United States played a significant role in creating the Dayton Agreement and in shaping a BiH where there is a balance, allowing everyone to have control over their destiny and to see a future in BiH,” Kovačević said.
However, Kovačević warned that the more this balance is disturbed, and the more the Dayton Agreement is undermined, the less future anyone can see in BiH.
“When we are asked by those running a political campaign where the money is, let us answer them. The money is in the constructed University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska, in the newly built hospitals in Doboj and Nevesinje, in the hospital being built in Trebinje, in the hospital being renovated in Gradiška, and in the hospital soon to be constructed in Prijedor and the newly built hospital in Bijeljina,” Kovačević stated.
He noted that the funds are also in the kilometers of highways across Republika Srpska that have been built or are under construction, reminding that when Srpska was founded, it was the only country in Europe without a single kilometer of highway.
“The money is in countless projects across Republika Srpska. The money is also in the fact that the average salary in Republika Srpska used to be half of what it was in the Federation of BiH, but today it is higher. The money is in the fact that we used to have the lowest guaranteed salary in the region, but today only Montenegro, which addressed this issue differently, has a higher guaranteed salary than Republika Srpska,” Kovačević said.
He also pointed out that the funds are in the historically lowest unemployment rate and the highest employment rate in Republika Srpska.
“No matter how unserious and irresponsible these questions are when they come from someone who should be a diplomat, someone who should respect the Vienna Convention, someone who should not interfere in internal affairs, let us answer. The money is in various places across Republika Srpska,” Kovačević emphasized.
He also highlighted the rapid development of Jahorina.
“Because of the vision of President Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska government to turn Jahorina into a serious tourist destination, we now have the fact that the price per square meter of residential space, or apartments, on Jahorina is higher than anywhere else except in Belgrade Waterfront,” Kovačević said.
Regarding debt, Kovačević mentioned that Republika Srpska has the lowest debt ratio in the entire region.
“They are trying to draw parallels with the Federation of BiH, where there are no data available because the total debt of the Federation includes the debt of all ten cantons, and only then can it be compared with Republika Srpska, which is in a much better position,” Kovačević stated.
He added that, unfortunately, the debt situation is worse in Serbia, Montenegro, the entire region, and across Europe compared to Republika Srpska.
“They claim that we borrowed 1.1 billion KM on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange in a single year, but the total turnover of the Banja Luka Stock Exchange with all clients was less than 1.1 billion KM, or rather, it had a total turnover of 1 billion. This shows how unserious these claims are and how much this is a matter of political campaigning rather than something a serious diplomatic mission should be doing,” Kovačević said.
He reiterated that Srpska wants to have good and partner relations with the United States, just as it wants to have with all guarantors of the Dayton Agreement, and he believes that with the arrival of a new U.S. ambassador in BiH, communication will improve, becoming more professional and serving the interests of both the citizens of the United States and those of Republika Srpska and BiH.
Source: RTRS
