23.07.2020.

President Vučić: It is our obligation to help the people in Republika Srpska

The President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, is on a one-day visit to Banjaluka today, where he handed over the aid from the Republic of Serbia to the institutions of Republika Srpska. The Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin is also visiting Banja Luka.

After the meetings with the President of Republika Srpska, Željka Cvijanović, and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, President Vučić pointed out that today a number of important topics were discussed, including the readiness of the Republic of Serbia to start talks with the Government of Republika Srpska about the model for the construction of an airport in Herzegovina, between the towns of Trebinje, Bileća and Gacko.

- We think that it is of extreme importance for the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska – of strategic importance – emphasized President Vučić, adding that it is important to build a network of airports and to include Herzegovina in this network, because it takes a long time to get to Trebinje, one of the most beautiful Serbian towns.

According to him, that would be important because it would help some of the people in Herzegovina survive and stay there and it would also create a closer link to Belgrade.

- We are ready to invest considerable amounts of money, to employ people from Republika Srpska who would work at that airport and, as of Monday, our delegation will be ready to go on a mission to Trebinje, Herzegovina, to assess how and at what speed it could be done – said President Vučić, and added that he believes it is tremendous news for Republika Srpska, and it is not insignificant news for Serbia either.

Another important topic discussed today, as President Vučić emphasized, is that Serbia has made commitment to help Republika Srpska additionally with the construction of Belgrade-Sarajevo and Belgrade-Banjaluka highway.

- We are ready to provide 100 million in subsidies for this project, in order to provide a direct link between Bijeljina, as the second biggest city in Republika Srpska and one of the biggest cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgrade. We hope that Republika Srpska will have the strength, that Sarajevo will have the strength to extend the highway further down to Tuzla and Sarajevo, or Zenica, Kakanj and Sarajevo, and I am convinced that Presidents Cvijanović and Dodik will have the strength to continue building the highway towards Vukosavlje and Doboj – President Vučić emphasized.

He pointed out that Serbia made a commitment today to pay one million euros for the “Nikola Tesla” Student Centre, which is something that the students in Banjaluka should look forward to, and during the meeting it was agreed that both Serbia and Srpska should support the law on the preservation of the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet.

At the end of his address, the President concluded that the Republic of Serbia will, if necessary, help Republika Srpska financially before the end of the year, because it is our obligation to help the people of Srpska, always maintaing the best possible relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole.

Speaking about the importance of today’s talks, President Cvijanović pointed out that important infrastructure projects and plans for the future were also discussed.
- The construction of the bridge and the highway is a certain project that will be strategic, communication project for Republika Srpska and I would like to thank Serbia for recognizing that – President Cvijanović said, adding that President Vučić set forth some new ideas at the meeting.

Milorad Dodik expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between Republika Srpska and Serbia, and emphasized that “the way we talk is a confirmation of the best possible cooperation”.

- The talks are open, friendly and brotherly, they are not directed against anyone, we are looking for our interests, and we are trying to define our programs and to implement them. We do not want to harm anyone, but we are determined and prepared to defend our interests and to make sure that Republika Srpska and Serbia can clearly state their interests without hesitation or any prohibitions – said Dodik and stressed that today, besides all the infrastructure issues, another topic discussed was a joint national project – identity, that they agreed to work on drafting a law on the preservation of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Serbian language in the next few months, and that it “should be adopted in identical texts in both Republika Srpska and Serbia”.

- In this way, we would contribute to the strengthening of the role and importance of our language and our alphabet to our people. It is our natural and sovereign right – Dodik emphasized, and expressed gratitude for the fact that “whichever municipality in Republika Srpska you go to, there is a project financed by the Government and the state of Serbia”.

In the first part of today’s visit to Banjaluka, after visiting the University Clinical Centre in Banjaluka and in the presence of the highest representatives of Republika Srpska, President Vučić handed over the donation of 15 ambulances, worth almost 750,000 euros, to the representatives of community health centres.

After handing over the donation, President Vučić pointed out that the donation is not only a gift, aid and support; it is Serbia’s obligation and a part of its responsibility.

- It is a part of our serious approach, because Serbia must look after Srpska, it must show responsibility towards Srpska, Serbia must always be available and at the disposal of Srpska – said President Vučić, adding that he is convinced that the citizens of Republika Srpska are well aware of that.

President Vučić said that in the last three years, Serbia has donated 59,2 million euros and Serbia is financing projects in 48 units of local self-government in Republika Srpska, and almost all units of self-government in other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Serbian majority.

- We in Serbia are happy and proud of every success of Republika Srpska. When you build a Clinical Centre in Banjaluka, people in Belgrade are happy as well – emphasized President Vučić, adding that Serbia has accepted the obligation to build the bridge over the Sava river on its own, which costs around 145 million euros, and that Serbia is ready to take on the responsibility of building the highway to Bijeljina in order to connect this second largest city in Republika Srpska with Belgrade and Novi Sad.

President Vučić also pointed out that “it is our goal and our obligation to always work towards the same end, and that is – national unity.

Speaking about the importance of today’s visit of President Vučić to Banjaluka, as well as the donation of the Republic of Serbia to Republika Srpska, the President of Republika Srpska, Željka Cvijanović and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, thanked for the constant support that the Republic of Serbia gives to Republika Srpska.

President Vučić also visited the construction site where a multipurpose facility is being built which is intended to house a kindergarten, a community health centre and the Local Community Office, whose construction is financed by Serbia in the settlement of Petrićevac, and the visit to Banjaluka ended with the visit to the construction site where a Serbian-Russian temple is being built.