The arrival of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, at the BRICS Summit in Kazan is an opportunity to enhance relations between Srpska and the Russian Federation, and a personal meeting between Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin is not excluded, said the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Sarajevo, Igor Kalabukhov, in an interview with the political magazine “Pečat.”
“This is a historic event, as for the first time, the leaders of 10 BRICS countries will gather,” Kalabukhov said.
Kalabukhov also spoke about the possibility of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically Republika Srpska, becoming a BRICS member.
“I believe that President Dodik’s visit to Kazan for this forum is an indicator and recognition of the realism behind what BRICS offers,” added Kalabukhov.
He emphasized that he believes President Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We are constantly talking about improving relations between Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation, and there is also an opportunity for contact with other world leaders, which will allow Republika Srpska to showcase its capacities,” Kalabukhov noted.
Commenting on the pressures from the U.S. administration on Republika Srpska and its leadership, the insistence on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO integration, and the imposition of sanctions on the Russian Federation, Kalabukhov stated that sanctions are an illegitimate approach.
“We are monitoring developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and have a strategic relationship with Republika Srpska. We believe that attempts to push Republika Srpska out of the framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement are absurd because there is a framework and positions of the constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding foreign policy priorities. The position of Republika Srpska is that NATO integration is not in the interest of Srpska,” Kalabukhov said.
Commenting on the protest of Bosniaks against Christian Schmidt in front of the OHR in Sarajevo, Kalabukhov said that the Bosniaks supported the false High Representative, but when he did something not to their liking, they began to revolt.
Source: RTRS
