President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, emphasized after his meeting with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, that Russia is closely monitoring the situation in Republika Srpska and understands the pressure faced by its leadership.
“We discussed our bilateral relations. Shoigu said that our relations are very strong — as you’ve heard — they are at a strategic level. Russia is closely following the situation in Republika Srpska and understands the heavy pressure its leadership is under, but they believe we can overcome those challenges,” Dodik stated.
He noted that Shoigu is well informed about nearly all details of President Dodik’s conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as with other senior Russian officials.
“We were given exceptional treatment here. It was said that I was a special guest of this conference and that I was given the honor of being the first foreign representative to speak, immediately after the hosts’ opening remarks. That is truly something to be appreciated. It reflects their respect toward us,” Dodik said.
He added that they also discussed the challenges of doing business under sanctions.
“Shoigu believes that sanctions have, in a way, ‘raised public awareness within Russia,’ but that it remains important to maintain certain business arrangements,” Dodik noted.
Dodik concluded by expressing his gratitude to Shoigu for the invitation to participate in the Security Forum.
Source: RTRS
