Serbia backs Bosnia integrity; no imposed solutions

President Boris Tadic was in Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska (RS) on Monday evening, where he met with the Serb entity's top officials. After his talks with RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, Tadic that Serbia is a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Accords which ended the 1992-95 war, and that Belgrade fully supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its constitutional organization – which implies the existence of the RS and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia backs Bosnia integrity; no imposed solutions "Serbia is the guarantor for the Dayton Accords and the full territorial sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia, and it is not giving up on that policy. At the same time, Serbia does not accept the policy of the imposing of solutions, and, for Serbia, any solution is acceptable if it is accepted by the legitimate representatives of all three nations in Bosnia," Tadic said, underscoring that any other policy is "unacceptable to Serbia". Serbia has special parallel ties with the RS, which it is enhancing and deepening, but it also wishes to have such links with the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, because "we want to improve both the economic and the political communications between Serbia and Bosnia in that way as well", Tadic said. Regarding the decision of the High International Representative in Bosnia Valentin Inzko to annul the conclusions of the RS parliament on the effects of the transferred authority from the entity to Bosnia-Herzegovia, Tadic said this created a new situation which should be gradually left behind and that communication should begin and the adopting of political decisions that are legitimate, securing stability and growth. "Anyone who wants the stability of the western Balkans, and consequently also of Bosnia, wants to avoid situations in which legitimate decisions of people's representatives are being annulled," Tadic said. "The time has come for a different policy, which is taking us all together toward the final realization of membership in the European Union," the Serbian president was quoted as saying. "There can be no integration of our countries with the EU without development in the area of the western Balkans, and there can be no welfare for our citizens without that, and also no good bilateral inter-state relations," he said. Tadic will confer with presidents of political parties in the RS at the RS government building in Banja Luka later this evening. Prime Minister Dodik said he conveyed to Tadic, that the RS respects the Dayton Accords and that there is nothing anti-Dayton or anti-constitutional in the conclusions of the RS parliament that were annulled by Inzko over the weekend. "I believe this is the last time that the high representative makes such a decision with certain legitimacy. We will confer with other political partners in the RS about how to react through the government and parliament, and that will take place in the days ahead," Dodik said, addressing a joint news conference with Tadic in Banja Luka. The premier said the so-called Bonn powers, which Inzko used in annulling the conclusions are "a thing of the pas", and can no longer be applied. "I have informed the Serbian president that the Dayton Accords are being respected by us, and in that form which implies respect of the Dayton letter and not its spirit, as it had been enforced all the previous years," Dodik said. Dodik expressed satisfaction that Serbia, as a guarantor of the peace deal reached in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, remains dedicated to that agreement and consensus within Bosnia on all issues. "That is precisely what I have heard and wanted to hear from the Serbian president, who fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty and the international position of Bosnia," Dodik said. The prime minister said he had conferred with Tadic as part of the "regular and intensive consultations on important issues of relations in keeping with the agreement on special parallel ties between the RS and Serbia". Dodik also told reporters that RS President Rajko Kuzmanovic is now in Russia, and that Banja Luka will define its position on Inzko's latest move once he returns. Tadic, Dodik in Banja Luka on Monday evening (Tanjug)

Serbia backs Bosnia integrity; no imposed solutions

"Serbia is the guarantor for the Dayton Accords and the full territorial sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia, and it is not giving up on that policy. At the same time, Serbia does not accept the policy of the imposing of solutions, and, for Serbia, any solution is acceptable if it is accepted by the legitimate representatives of all three nations in Bosnia," Tadić said, underscoring that any other policy is "unacceptable to Serbia".

Serbia has special parallel ties with the RS, which it is enhancing and deepening, but it also wishes to have such links with the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, because "we want to improve both the economic and the political communications between Serbia and Bosnia in that way as well", Tadić said.

Regarding the decision of the High International Representative in Bosnia Valentin Inzko to annul the conclusions of the RS parliament on the effects of the transferred authority from the entity to Bosnia-Herzegovia, Tadić said this created a new situation which should be gradually left behind and that communication should begin and the adopting of political decisions that are legitimate, securing stability and growth.

"Anyone who wants the stability of the western Balkans, and consequently also of Bosnia, wants to avoid situations in which legitimate decisions of people's representatives are being annulled," Tadić said.

"The time has come for a different policy, which is taking us all together toward the final realization of membership in the European Union," the Serbian president was quoted as saying.

"There can be no integration of our countries with the EU without development in the area of the western Balkans, and there can be no welfare for our citizens without that, and also no good bilateral inter-state relations," he said.

Tadić will confer with presidents of political parties in the RS at the RS government building in Banja Luka later this evening.

Prime Minister Dodik said he conveyed to Tadić, that the RS respects the Dayton Accords and that there is nothing anti-Dayton or anti-constitutional in the conclusions of the RS parliament that were annulled by Inzko over the weekend.

"I believe this is the last time that the high representative makes such a decision with certain legitimacy. We will confer with other political partners in the RS about how to react through the government and parliament, and that will take place in the days ahead," Dodik said, addressing a joint news conference with Tadić in Banja Luka.

The premier said the so-called Bonn powers, which Inzko used in annulling the conclusions are "a thing of the pas", and can no longer be applied.

"I have informed the Serbian president that the Dayton Accords are being respected by us, and in that form which implies respect of the Dayton letter and not its spirit, as it had been enforced all the previous years," Dodik said.

Dodik expressed satisfaction that Serbia, as a guarantor of the peace deal reached in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, remains dedicated to that agreement and consensus within Bosnia on all issues.

"That is precisely what I have heard and wanted to hear from the Serbian president, who fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty and the international position of Bosnia," Dodik said.

The prime minister said he had conferred with Tadić as part of the "regular and intensive consultations on important issues of relations in keeping with the agreement on special parallel ties between the RS and Serbia".

Dodik also told reporters that RS President Rajko Kuzmanović is now in Russia, and that Banja Luka will define its position on Inzko's latest move once he returns.