Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović said in an interview with RTRS, following her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, that the talks were highly constructive and substantive.
She said that discussions with Sa’ar focused on regional issues, with particular emphasis on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We also discussed developments on the global stage. It was truly valuable and enlightening to hear the positions of the State of Israel on all these issues. We expressed our full commitment to strengthening our friendship and partnership and developing it in every possible way. What is encouraging is the fact that Israel is always ready to defend the interests of Republika Srpska,” Cvijanović said.
She stressed that the meeting provided an opportunity to explain why Republika Srpska believes a new framework is needed to ensure full equality among all constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“They view these issues from a different perspective. They often refer to minorities, including Christian minorities and others. Essentially, their position is that all communities, both Christian and non-Christian, should enjoy equal rights and should not be endangered. I would say there was a high level of understanding regarding all the topics we discussed today,” she added.
According to Cvijanović, the talks also covered relations between Israel and the United States.
“We discussed our relations with America, as well as the situation concerning the European Union,” she said.
Cvijanović noted that it was particularly interesting to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address the previous evening and confirmed that she was scheduled to meet with him later today.
The Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that her address later in the evening would focus on challenges facing Republika Srpska.
“I will send several messages about how we view our region from the perspective of security, the economy and broader regional issues. One of the key challenges remains the denial of the constitutional rights of Republika Srpska. The focus will be on the need to find a new solution and on how to restore equality and equal rights for all peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Cvijanović said.
Source: RTRS
