“I asked Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, not to leave the Balkans out of their discussions and to seek lasting solutions,” Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik told Russian media after his meeting with the Russian leader in Sochi, held on the sidelines of the Valdai Discussion Club.
“I further asked the president to pay attention to an issue that could have great importance in Russia’s negotiations with the United States. If an agreement is reached between the two world powers, it is crucial that the Balkans not be overlooked. The most appropriate solution could be for Russia and the U.S., as part of their final agreement, to establish a joint commission for the Balkans—one that would help stabilize the region by developing lasting solutions and ensuring proper organization of the states themselves,” Dodik said.
He noted that the meeting with President Putin “within the planned timeframe provided the opportunity to discuss all issues both sides had intended.”
“Of course, it was inevitable that we would talk about the situation in our region. It was important for me to hear his assessment of the current developments,” Dodik emphasized.
Dodik added that he and Putin also discussed specific forms of cooperation they had previously agreed to strengthen, including economic initiatives, cultural exchange, and sports collaboration.
“One of our teams will soon play in the VTB League, which shows that certain barriers can indeed be overcome despite potential threats from European associations. By participating in European competitions, we have chosen the VTB League. We will play and meet top basketball clubs from the Russian Federation,” Dodik said, as reported by Sputnik.
According to him, all these topics formed an important part of the bilateral discussions.
“For me, it was particularly significant to reaffirm the confidence in Russia’s strategic support within the UN Security Council—especially regarding issues we also discussed earlier with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” Dodik concluded.
Source: RTRS
