Top Serbian and RS officials meet in Banja Luka

BELGRADE Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and his Serb Republic (RS) counterpart Milorad Dodik met on Wednesday in Banja Luka to pledge "better cooperation". The cooperation between Serbia and the Serb entity (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina "will be better in the future, in line with the agreement on special ties, while joint projects will be completed faster", they agreed. Top Serbian and RS officials meet in Banja Luka After a meeting of the council for cooperation between Serbia and RS, Nikolic said he hoped for a more sincere and stable cooperation, since it was determined on Wednesday there were issues of common interest that had not been addressed the best way. Nikolic stressed at a joint news conference with Dodik and prime ministers Ivica Dacic and Aleksandar Dzombic Serbia guaranteed for the Dayton agreement, which the RS was implementing in full within Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia and the RS, within the agreement on special relations, look for the best basis for cooperation in other markets and joint production, as well as coordinated action and cooperation between government companies, so that one side would not suffer a lack of supply while the other could help, Nikolic noted. "We are open to cooperation and will continue it," he stated, stressing there was no talk of politics during the Wednesday meeting that was outside the special ties agreement. Dodik said the Wednesday meeting was one of the more successful and resulted in conclusions regarding energy, financial cooperation and other areas. "We want good cooperation in energy to improve and reach an organizational and formal level that would ensure that a development policy could be planned jointly in the field," he said. Dodik pointed out the threat of floods that came with the rise in the Drina's water level, which was why flood protection was an item on the meeting's agenda, along with a system of water management, which could not be separated from energy. The need to define the view regarding the RS involvement in the South Stream gas pipeline project was discussed at the meeting, Dodik noted. The two delegations also discussed citizenship and agreed Serbia had good laws in that respect. "We concluded that administrative procedures should be faster and obstruction removed for RS citizens wishing to apply for Serbian citizenship," Dodik said. Dodik and Nikolic are seen in Banja Luka on Wednesday (FoNet) "I am ready for cooperation with Sarajevo" President Tomislav Nikolic stated in Banja Luka on Wednesday that he was ready for cooperation with authorities in Sarajevo and Bosniak political representatives, but added this required mutual willingness. Nikolic pointed out that Bosnia-Herzegovina was a UN member-state with Sarajevo as its capital city, two entities and three constitutive peoples, adding that he had respect for all these facts. Asked why he decided to visit Banja Luka before Sarajevo, Nikolic said that he did not need to gain popularity in Serbia by causing hostility towards some other country. Nikolic added that Bosnia Presidency Member Bakir Izetbegovic had no reason to speak or think bad of him, because the cooperation between Serbia and RS was completely in keeping with a Special Parallel Relationship agreement arising from the Dayton Agreement, whose guarantor is Serbia. "I never said anything bad about Bosnia or Mister Izetbegovic, because the one elected by the people deserves to lead that people," he added. The Serbian president also said he was disposed to talk to Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and Izetbegovic, but that he could not go and knock on every door, since this was not the practice anywhere in the world. He announced that Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic would visit Sarajevo on Thursday, adding that this meant there was no reason for anyone to say that Serbia-Bosnia relations were at a standstill. RS President Milorad Dodik said that Izetbegovic did not represent Bosnia, but that he was only a political representative of the Bosniak people, adding that, as such, he could not speak on behalf of the entire state. "In order for him to be able to speak on Bosnia's behalf, he has to have the stance of the Presidency, which he does not," Dodik pointed out. Member of the Bosnian Presidency from the Bosniak people Bakir Izetbegovic stated on Tuesday that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic was sending a bad message by first visiting Banja Luka, not Sarajevo, although, as he put it, the visit itself did not violate the sovereignty of Bosnia. Izetbegovic also said that Nikolic should have come to Sarajevo first, since it was the capital city of Bosnia. "Better cooperation" “It is the end of the year, we should analyze what we have done in the relations, to agree for next year,” the Serbian president told Beta news agency ahead of his visit to Banja Luka. “We accept everything written in the Dayton Accords, and it says that the RS is an entity that has the right to establish special relations with Serbia,” he added. Nikolic said that he did not want the special relations to be “declarative” and that he wanted much better cooperation with the RS. According to announcements, the president will attend the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the RS Justice Ministry, Administration and Local Self-Government Ministry and Serbian Justice and State Administration Ministry. The memorandum will be signed by Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic and RS Justice Minister Gorana Zlatkovic and Administration and Local Self-Government Minister Lejla Resic. This is Nikolic’s first visit to Banja Luka since he became the Serbian president. Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic told Turkish Anadolu news agency that Nikolic should have visited Sarajevo first and that the visit to Banja Luka “is not a good political message”. Beta Tanjug

Top Serbian and RS officials meet in Banja Luka

After a meeting of the council for cooperation between Serbia and RS, Nikolić said he hoped for a more sincere and stable cooperation, since it was determined on Wednesday there were issues of common interest that had not been addressed the best way.

Nikolić stressed at a joint news conference with Dodik and prime ministers Ivica Dačić and Aleksandar Džombić Serbia guaranteed for the Dayton agreement, which the RS was implementing in full within Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Serbia and the RS, within the agreement on special relations, look for the best basis for cooperation in other markets and joint production, as well as coordinated action and cooperation between government companies, so that one side would not suffer a lack of supply while the other could help, Nikolić noted.

"We are open to cooperation and will continue it," he stated, stressing there was no talk of politics during the Wednesday meeting that was outside the special ties agreement.

Dodik said the Wednesday meeting was one of the more successful and resulted in conclusions regarding energy, financial cooperation and other areas.

"We want good cooperation in energy to improve and reach an organizational and formal level that would ensure that a development policy could be planned jointly in the field," he said.

Dodik pointed out the threat of floods that came with the rise in the Drina's water level, which was why flood protection was an item on the meeting's agenda, along with a system of water management, which could not be separated from energy.

The need to define the view regarding the RS involvement in the South Stream gas pipeline project was discussed at the meeting, Dodik noted.

The two delegations also discussed citizenship and agreed Serbia had good laws in that respect.

"We concluded that administrative procedures should be faster and obstruction removed for RS citizens wishing to apply for Serbian citizenship," Dodik said.

"I am ready for cooperation with Sarajevo"

President Tomislav Nikolić stated in Banja Luka on Wednesday that he was ready for cooperation with authorities in Sarajevo and Bosniak political representatives, but added this required mutual willingness.

Nikolić pointed out that Bosnia-Herzegovina was a UN member-state with Sarajevo as its capital city, two entities and three constitutive peoples, adding that he had respect for all these facts.

Asked why he decided to visit Banja Luka before Sarajevo, Nikolić said that he did not need to gain popularity in Serbia by causing hostility towards some other country.

Nikolić added that Bosnia Presidency Member Bakir Izetbegović had no reason to speak or think bad of him, because the cooperation between Serbia and RS was completely in keeping with a Special Parallel Relationship agreement arising from the Dayton Agreement, whose guarantor is Serbia.

"I never said anything bad about Bosnia or Mister Izetbegović, because the one elected by the people deserves to lead that people," he added.

The Serbian president also said he was disposed to talk to Croatian President Ivo Josipović, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and Izetbegović, but that he could not go and knock on every door, since this was not the practice anywhere in the world.

He announced that Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić would visit Sarajevo on Thursday, adding that this meant there was no reason for anyone to say that Serbia-Bosnia relations were at a standstill.

RS President Milorad Dodik said that Izetbegović did not represent Bosnia, but that he was only a political representative of the Bosniak people, adding that, as such, he could not speak on behalf of the entire state.

"In order for him to be able to speak on Bosnia's behalf, he has to have the stance of the Presidency, which he does not," Dodik pointed out.

Member of the Bosnian Presidency from the Bosniak people Bakir Izetbegović stated on Tuesday that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić was sending a bad message by first visiting Banja Luka, not Sarajevo, although, as he put it, the visit itself did not violate the sovereignty of Bosnia.

Izetbegović also said that Nikolić should have come to Sarajevo first, since it was the capital city of Bosnia.

"Better cooperation"

“It is the end of the year, we should analyze what we have done in the relations, to agree for next year,” the Serbian president told Beta news agency ahead of his visit to Banja Luka.

“We accept everything written in the Dayton Accords, and it says that the RS is an entity that has the right to establish special relations with Serbia,” he added.

Nikolić said that he did not want the special relations to be “declarative” and that he wanted much better cooperation with the RS.

According to announcements, the president will attend the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the RS Justice Ministry, Administration and Local Self-Government Ministry and Serbian Justice and State Administration Ministry.

The memorandum will be signed by Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selaković and RS Justice Minister Gorana Zlatković and Administration and Local Self-Government Minister Lejla Rešić.

This is Nikolić’s first visit to Banja Luka since he became the Serbian president.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegović told Turkish Anadolu news agency that Nikolić should have visited Sarajevo first and that the visit to Banja Luka “is not a good political message”.