Security is essential for the survival and development of Republika Srpska, highlighted at the conference “Strategic Challenges for the Survival and Development of Republika Srpska,” organized by the Banja Luka Security Forum.
The conference addressed the impact of foreign influences on Republika Srpska as well as internal factors that destabilize relations within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Various external and internal factors affect security in Republika Srpska, stated Mitar Kovač, director of the Banja Luka Security Forum. He emphasized that citizens in Republika Srpska and the Federation should understand that they play a key role in shaping security.
“The people of both entities bear the consequences, and we are particularly concerned with Republika Srpska. We believe that Republika Srpska will continue to contribute positively to relations within Bosnia and Herzegovina, avoiding extreme ethnic and interfaith conflicts,” said Kovač.
Ostoja Barašin, rector of the Independent University of Banja Luka, highlighted three groups of international factors affecting the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and influencing Republika Srpska—the U.S. administration, the Office of the High Representative (OHR), and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“After all these years of their functioning, we see that they do everything except fulfill the mandate of the Constitutional Court, often making decisions against the interests of the Serb people,” added Barašin.
Dragan Petrović, a research advisor at the Institute of International Politics in Belgrade, also believes that U.S. foreign policy influences the political situation in the Balkans and the Serbs living there.
“For us Serbs, I believe we need to work on our unity, improve our economies, and strengthen our positions. It is clear that the multipolar world, with Russia, China, and BRICS, is reshaping global influence and will continue to grow,” emphasized Dr. Petrović.
The significance of the U.S. administration’s influence cannot be overlooked, one of the conference’s conclusions stated. This is evident, participants noted, in the consequences of the current financial blockade affecting Republika Srpska.
Source: RTRS
