Moscow warns strengthening ties with Republika Srpska

Dodik is under sanctions from the United States of America (SHBA).

In an interview for a nearby television station with Dodik, Peskov noted Moscow's expectations that Serbia and Republika Srpska will not submit “to Western pressure” to join sanctions against Russia.

Putin's spokesman said Belgrade is currently under greater pressure from the West to impose sanctions on Russia than are Republika Srpska authorities, who in Bosnia and Herzegovina are blocking the deployment of sanctions.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has not imposed any restrictive measures on Russia in line with European Union decisions (BE), expected by candidate countries. Brussels warned Serbia again, 9 May, that progress in membership negotiations will depend on harmonisation with European Union sanctions on Russia.

Serbia is under even greater pressure than Republika Srpska. We hope they will have enough force not to enter the line of this main course of the collective West”, Peskov said in an interview for Banja Luka Alternative Television, which is also under US sanctions.

The interview was registered in Moscow, while the host developed it in Russian.

For Russia's traditional ties with Serbia, Peskov said Serbia is a sovereign state and that Russia has nothing against its relations with Western countries. But, according to him, no co-operation with Western countries or other countries should be an obstacle to continuing to develop relations between Serbia and Russia.

Peskov said that, when it comes to Republika Srpska, Russia “is due to the fact that relations will continue to develop and that they will only be strengthened in all fields”.

He said Moscow knows what the external pressure within Bosnia and Herzegovina is, what is external pressure on the opposite of international mechanisms, which also function in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement”.

And, of course, in line with our own economic opportunities, in the first place, we are willing to support the Republika Srpska, so that it can constantly follow its direction, within the same state in which it is”, Peskov said.

Speaking of the status of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peskov said it is one of the two entities in that country and that under the Dayton Agreement it is completely equal.

In January 2022, the US Treasury Department placed Milorad Dodik on the list of sanctions due to corruption activities, efforts to bring down the Dayton Agreement and jeopardise Bosnia and Herzegovina's and the entire region's stability.

As reported, sanctions were imposed on Alternative Television from Banja Luka, due to its connection with Dodik, leader of the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), which is a leading party in Republika Srpska.

In another interview aired at Republika Srpska Radio Television, the same day that the interview with Peskov was published at ATV, Milorad Dodik announced that, on May 23rd, he will meet in Moscow with Putin, who has talked to him even in September last year.

The head of the Republika Srpska's representation in Russia, Dusko Perovic, said Dodik would discuss continuing co-operation for economic development, the Dayton Agreement and pressures on Republika Srpska.

“These are some things that Dodik, in a friendly spirit, wants to brief Vladimir Putin, since they have had long-time good communication”, Perovic told the Srna Agency.

He said Dodik, under the protocol of his visit to Russia, must hand over Putin the Order of Republika Srpska, which was given early this year, on the eve of celebrating the Republic Day on January 9th.

At the awards-sharing ceremony in Banja Luka, Dodik noted that Putin is responsible for developing and consolidating co-operation, as well as for political and friendly relations between Republika Srpska and Russia.

The day interviews were published with Peskov, senior representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, warned before the UN Security Council that the Sescetingist politics in Republika Srpska is on the rise. /rel