A Republika Srpska delegation led by Milorad Dodik and Prime Minister Savo Minić is visiting Russia, with a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for tomorrow to discuss future plans, cooperation and the implementation of previously agreed initiatives.
During his visit to Moscow, Dodik met with the rector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), where he also delivered a lecture to students.
Dodik said that Republika Srpska had worked for years to make its positions better known internationally and argued that those involved in politics today are familiar with Republika Srpska and the issues it advocates.
“Russian diplomacy today is a leader in consistency in this regard. That is why the importance of this university and the diplomacy studied here is so highly regarded. I am also pleased that we have our students studying here, and what we must do is open the doors wide for them once they graduate so that they can represent Republika Srpska in the best possible way,” Dodik said.
His lecture, titled “The future of cooperation between Russia and Republika Srpska in the new system of international relations,” attracted significant interest among MGIMO students.
“I think this lecture will help us better understand the connection between Serbs and Russians, as well as between Republika Srpska and Russia,” student Valjona Golub said.
Ksenia Berkut said the lecture was particularly important for students specializing in the region.
“I think this lecture is very important for all of us because we are students studying this region and, as future experts, we need to understand it,” she said.
A number of students from Republika Srpska and Serbia also study at MGIMO. They said the lecture would help students better understand the policies and diplomatic activities of Republika Srpska.
“Russian students know very well where Republika Srpska is and what Republika Srpska is. When you tell Russians that you are a Serb and that you come from Republika Srpska, they are very aware of what we are going through and genuinely want to know what we think about our relations and how we believe they can be improved,” said Jovana Gatarić from Banja Luka.
Marko Sulaver noted that Russian diplomats Igor Kalabukhov and Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko are MGIMO alumni and that some of the students currently studying there are likely to become Russian diplomatic representatives in the coming years.
“We can therefore say that knowledge about developments in our country and society, as well as knowledge of our language, is at a very high level,” Sulaver said.
During the visit, the Republika Srpska delegation is also scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dodik said relations with Russia were based on strategic cooperation.
“Tomorrow I will meet with President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to review what we previously agreed and discuss certain future plans,” Dodik said.
He reiterated his support for Russia and argued that Moscow’s concerns over NATO enlargement were justified, while also expressing support for what Russia calls its “special military operation.”
Prime Minister Savo Minić, meanwhile, held talks with Russian business representatives on opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation between Republika Srpska and Russia.
“One of the topics is cooperation involving our Orao company in Republika Srpska. We also discussed the introduction and transfer of new technologies, including IT technologies,” Minić said.
He added that he wanted to contribute personally to expanding business contacts abroad, particularly in Russia.
“I want to be part of the team that will establish these contacts around the world, and especially here in Russia, because they are certainly important for the economy and for life in Republika Srpska in general,” Minić said.
Dodik also reiterated that Republika Srpska would maintain its opposition to sanctions against the Russian Federation. He thanked Russia for its position regarding the closure of the Office of the High Representative in BiH and said Republika Srpska would continue to seek the return of competencies it considers to have been transferred away from the entity level.
“We are grateful to the Russian Federation for its principled position regarding the Dayton Peace Agreement. We came here to say that the Dayton Agreement has failed and that only fragments or remnants of it remain,” Dodik said.
He accused Western countries of departing from the original Dayton framework, drawing a comparison with what he described as Western conduct regarding the Minsk agreements.
Representatives of Republika Srpska also met with the leadership of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The talks included possibilities for scientific and practical cooperation between researchers from Russia and Republika Srpska, particularly in the field of medicine.
Source: RTRS
