Nenad Stevandić, President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, met in the French Senate with representatives responsible for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans.
After talks with Senator Marta de Cidrac, President of the France–Western Balkans Friendship Group, Stevandić said he was grateful for the opportunity to clarify the position of Republika Srpska.
“We advocate for equality, not for others to determine our rights. The rights defined by the Constitution in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not an obstacle to joining the European Union. Republika Srpska should not give up its property. I am glad I was understood when I explained that our actions in Republika Srpska are purely defensive — something recognized in the United States, and now we are trying to explain it to Europe as well. They cannot call us derogatory names, label us separatists, and then expect us to live in the same community,” Stevandić said.
He emphasized that Republika Srpska has its own rights, property, and the inter-entity boundary line established in the Dayton Agreement.
“Such a Bosnia and Herzegovina can move toward European integration. Anything based on taking away the competences of Republika Srpska is not a European path but a political deception. We will continue, everywhere we go — and we received particular attention here in the French Senate — to seek understanding for the fact that Republika Srpska is safeguarding its Constitution, its territory, its property, and poses no threat to anyone. We are fighting for equal status for all peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for the subjectivity and sovereignty of Republika Srpska, secured under the Dayton Agreement. We hope that the diplomatic and other channels we are opening will contribute to better understanding of Republika Srpska,” Stevandić concluded.
The Senate is one of the two chambers of the French Parliament.
Stevandić is on a working visit to the French Republic from 7 to 10 December 2025, with meetings planned across several institutions and organizations significant for parliamentary cooperation and European integration.
The visit includes discussions in the French Parliament, as well as consultations in institutions and research centers focused on the European Union, the Western Balkans, and European integration processes.
Source: RTRS
