Serbia, RS have "excellent ties", say presidents

BELGRADE Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Wednesday in Belgrade met with President of the Serb Republic (RS) Milorad Dodik. The leader of the Serb entity (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina - who in the election campaign actively supported Nikolic's rival and former president Boris Tadic - said today that the relations between Belgrade and Banja Luka were “in the best possible condition". Serbia, RS have "excellent ties", say presidents He added that he expected that the relations with the new president of Serbia would contribute to the strengthening of the special parallel ties. “I think that our cooperation will be good and that we will make considerable progress in the integration in the educational, cultural and other terms in the period ahead,” Dodik told reporters after his first official meeting with President Nikolic. Dodik said he respected the fact that Nikolic was a legitimately elected president of Serbia, and expressed the expectation that together, they would be able to create and reconcile some views on the political status of the Serb people in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bosnia). Pointing out that the policies of Belgrade and Banja Luka on Kosovo are almost identical, Dodik said that using procedures at its disposal, the RS would further be preventing the recognition of Kosovo's independence. “We believe that the international community, which supported the illegal and unconstitutional declaration of Kosovo as an independent state, has humiliated and underestimated Serbia and the Serbian people,” Dodik said. Dodik said that Nikolic agreed about holding a meeting of the Council for the implementation of the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations, made up of the presidents and prime ministers of the republics, in Banja Luka by the end of September. Dodik also announced meetings between the parliament speakers of Serbia and the RS and meetings at the government level taking place soon. The two presidents discussed political, cultural, economic and educational issues and the political situation in Bosnia. As a Dayton signatory, Serbia should be more assertive when it comes to the implementation of the agreement, Dodik said, adding that the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) should begin delivering reports about the OHR's work to Serbia and the other signatories. (Beta) Tanjug

Serbia, RS have "excellent ties", say presidents

He added that he expected that the relations with the new president of Serbia would contribute to the strengthening of the special parallel ties.

“I think that our cooperation will be good and that we will make considerable progress in the integration in the educational, cultural and other terms in the period ahead,” Dodik told reporters after his first official meeting with President Nikolić.

Dodik said he respected the fact that Nikolić was a legitimately elected president of Serbia, and expressed the expectation that together, they would be able to create and reconcile some views on the political status of the Serb people in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Bosnia).

Pointing out that the policies of Belgrade and Banja Luka on Kosovo are almost identical, Dodik said that using procedures at its disposal, the RS would further be preventing the recognition of Kosovo's independence.

“We believe that the international community, which supported the illegal and unconstitutional declaration of Kosovo as an independent state, has humiliated and underestimated Serbia and the Serbian people,” Dodik said.

Dodik said that Nikolić agreed about holding a meeting of the Council for the implementation of the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations, made up of the presidents and prime ministers of the republics, in Banja Luka by the end of September.

Dodik also announced meetings between the parliament speakers of Serbia and the RS and meetings at the government level taking place soon.

The two presidents discussed political, cultural, economic and educational issues and the political situation in Bosnia.

As a Dayton signatory, Serbia should be more assertive when it comes to the implementation of the agreement, Dodik said, adding that the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) should begin delivering reports about the OHR's work to Serbia and the other signatories.