Berlin conference "meant to show Germany's dominance"

SOURCE: TANJUG

BANJA LUKA -- A conference dedicated to the Western Balkans, scheduled for August 28 in Berlin, is meant to show the dominance of Germany in this region, says Milorad Dodik.

"Those from Bosnia-Herzegovina who will go to the conference are not the people who make decisions, so any possible decisions and conclusions, whatever they agree on, will be short-lived," the president of Bosnia's Serb entity, the RS, told the public broadcaster RTRS.

Dodik added that the RS is ready to comply with European standards, but not to to sacrifice its own interests.

Cooperation with Germany is welcome, but, according to Dodik, "that does not mean we should be guinea pigs."

According to announcements, the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina will be the central theme of the conference.

Former High Representative in Bosnia Wolfgang Petritsch was recently quoted as saying that "German Chancellor Angela Merkel will send important messages during the gathering, that could be part of Berlin's new plan for stabilizing that part of the continent."

"I expect some very strong messages from Merkel, like those given to Croatia before it joined the European Union, when then Prime Minister (Ivo) Sanader had to go," Petritsch told the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz daily.

According to him, Bosnia had become "a ground through which Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to weaken the influence of the EU."

"Putin also acts in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and via the Serb Republic (RS), using the simple logic that if he cannot influence the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina, then he will at least make life miserable for the EU by manipulating the RS, with the support of provincial leader Dodik," the Austrian diplomat was quoted as saying.