Bosnia-Herzegovina “not in Serbs' best interest”

BANJA LUKA Survival of Bosnia-Herzegovina would not represent a political and historical interest of Bosnian Serbs, Republic of Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik says. He added that it was possible that the country would not even exist in some ten or 15 years, because two out of three constitutive people were against it. Bosnia-Herzegovina “not in Serbs' best interest” "The international community is getting tired of preserving something that many do not want. We lost even our small illusion that Bosnia is possible in terms of realization of values (established by Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995) since those were constantly subject of changes and imposing here. We do not have some special wish for success of Bosnia,” he underscored. “We will do what we have to do and not what we want. However, the states cannot succeed if you do not want them," Dodik told Tanjug. “The only reason why Bosnia-Herzegovina did not end up the same as former Yugoslavia, which dissolved in the first half of 1990s is because the international factor still insists on irrational thesis that it would be possible to preserve something they used to call Yugoslavia in miniature, although they have failed to preserve the larger Yugoslavia," he pointed out. "Of course we need reconciliation (between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and we should not start conflicts. We need to live in this area because no one can eliminate anyone else, Bosniaks cannot eliminate Serbs or vice-versa, and there is no need for that. They must have their own and we must have our own and that is the only way to live normally, side by side," he said. Dodik noted that Bosniaks, as the most numerous, should offer concessions to Croats and Serbs and thus attempt to create a basic consensus for permanent existence of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but that they instead "implement the policy of domination". "My role is to prevent the start of the process that would turn Serbs into a marginal minority that is dominated by the other national group in 10, 20 or 50 years", Dodik said. “The only thing that keeps Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina is the Dayton Agreement,” he explained. "I believe that RS is a state, it has no international capacity, but it is a state by anything that could define a state. The only thing is that we are called an entity and not a state in order to avoid conflicts," the RS president concluded. Milorad Dodik (Tanjug, file) VIP

Bosnia-Herzegovina “not in Serbs' best interest”

"The international community is getting tired of preserving something that many do not want. We lost even our small illusion that Bosnia is possible in terms of realization of values (established by Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995) since those were constantly subject of changes and imposing here. We do not have some special wish for success of Bosnia,” he underscored.

“We will do what we have to do and not what we want. However, the states cannot succeed if you do not want them," Dodik told Tanjug.

“The only reason why Bosnia-Herzegovina did not end up the same as former Yugoslavia, which dissolved in the first half of 1990s is because the international factor still insists on irrational thesis that it would be possible to preserve something they used to call Yugoslavia in miniature, although they have failed to preserve the larger Yugoslavia," he pointed out.

"Of course we need reconciliation (between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and we should not start conflicts. We need to live in this area because no one can eliminate anyone else, Bosniaks cannot eliminate Serbs or vice-versa, and there is no need for that. They must have their own and we must have our own and that is the only way to live normally, side by side," he said.

Dodik noted that Bosniaks, as the most numerous, should offer concessions to Croats and Serbs and thus attempt to create a basic consensus for permanent existence of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but that they instead "implement the policy of domination".

"My role is to prevent the start of the process that would turn Serbs into a marginal minority that is dominated by the other national group in 10, 20 or 50 years", Dodik said.

“The only thing that keeps Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina is the Dayton Agreement,” he explained.

"I believe that RS is a state, it has no international capacity, but it is a state by anything that could define a state. The only thing is that we are called an entity and not a state in order to avoid conflicts," the RS president concluded.