Serbia for Dayton, RS against recognition of Kosovo

SOURCE: TANJUG
BANJA LUKA -- Serbia remains firmly committed to the position that the Dayton Peace Agreement is a basis for the state architecture of Bosnia-Herzegovina.


(Tanjug)
Bosnia's Serb entity, the Serb Republic (RS), meanwhile, "is resolved to continue preventing Sarajevo from recognizing the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo," Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and RS President Milorad Dodik underscored on Wednesday.

Dačić and Dodik talked in Banja Luka on Wednesday before a joint sitting of the Serbian and RS governments.

Dačić told a news conference following the meeting that the Dayton Agreement was reached thanks to a great diplomatic initiative of Serbia's leadership at that time and brought about peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“Our stand is unchangeable. We will never impose pressure on RS and require from it to change its position on the equality of peoples and entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina,” said Dačić, who informed Dodik about details concerning the negotiating process between Belgrade and Priština.

For Serbia, the dialogue remains status-neutral, and no one from the EU has brought that into question, the Serbian prime minister said.

During the dialogue in Brussels, Bosnia has never been mentioned as a topic that should be addressed, Dačić said.

Dodik said that RS offers unwavering support to Serbia's state policy when it comes to the issue of Kosovo, which means, among other things, that Banja Luka will never recognize Kosovo's independence.

“As regards Kosovo's independence, RS sticks to the position of non-recognition, and we will not grant our consent for that in Bosnia. The integrity and sovereignty of Serbia has been challenged by that unilateral declaration,” Dodik said, adding that RS could not recognize the self-declared independence of Kosovo, “taking into account the internal constitution of Bosnia”.

Dodik said that Dačić informed him about the details in relation to Serbia's EU integration process, which RS fully supports.

“We expect that the negotiating process will begin, and that Serbia will successfully close all chapters and become an EU member state,” Dodik said.

The RS president noted that Banja Luka has nothing against Serbia holding joint sittings with the Federation of Bosnia or the Council of Ministers, as that is a part of the policy aimed at normalizing relations in the region.

Dačić and Dodik said that joint sittings of the two governments are a good frame for improving relations between Serbia and RS even further, adding that they should be held twice a year.