The Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, Siniša Karan, stated that the hysterical comments from Bosniak politicians regarding the announced arrival of Serbia MUP officers in Srpska during the tourist season are shameful, as such cooperation is common among all countries in the region and beyond.
Karan addressed those filled with hatred towards anything Serb, emphasizing that the presence of Serbia MUP officers will not compromise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, but rather it is those who harbor hatred who are the true threat.
“They will not complicate the relations between BiH and Republika Srpska; it is you who complicate them with your hatred and its escalation,” Karan told Srna.
He reminded that the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministries of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska and Serbia, dated June 18, provides the legal basis for the arrival and stay of Serbian MUP officers in Srpska during the tourist season. This memorandum and such cooperation exist among all countries in the region and beyond.
Karan highlighted that this year, based on a similar memorandum of cooperation during the tourist season, the Croatian police will have 97 foreign police officers from 19 countries, including Serbian police officers, and BiH has participated in this project since 2009.
“Today, in 2024, when the MUP of Srpska attempts to implement this project in the same manner and under the same conditions, we have a problem,” Karan emphasized.
The problem, Karan pointed out, is the hatred of certain individuals based on irrational facts towards anything that comes from Serbia and has the “Serbian” prefix.
“The hysterical comments from Bosniak politicians that we hear today through the media are shameful. These are the same media through which we informed the public about the steps we were taking regarding these activities,” Karan said.
He explained that the concept of this cooperation is based on the same principles as in other countries, with the aim of having police officers from other states contribute to a greater sense of security for foreign guests (citizens of their countries) and facilitate better cooperation in resolving criminal offenses.
“Unarmed, in the uniforms of their police, they work in accordance with the orders of the responsible leaders in the police administrations. In this way, they assist the local police in achieving effective communication with foreign tourists, thereby resolving potential conflict situations,” Karan explained.
The SDA has called the agreed police cooperation and deployment of Serbian MUP officers in Banja Luka, Foča, and Trebinje part of a Greater Serb project, while the Democratic Front is requesting that the Council of Ministers issue an order to the BiH Border Police to prevent the agreed arrival of police officers from Serbia.
Source: RTRS
