The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, paid a visit to Banja Luka yesterday, where he met with the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the President of the SNSD, Milorad Dodik.
Milorad Dodik described this visit, which came “out of the blue”, as a semi-private and semi-official visit where Dodik and Orban were supposed to meet for a working lunch.
On the official website of the Prime Minister of Hungary, it was announced that Viktor Orban had traveled to BiH and that he would have a working lunch with Milorad Dodik, a member of the BiH Presidency.
“Viktor Orban hosted Dodik in Budapest in June and is now returning a working visit to Banja Luka. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will also attend Saturday’s meeting,” it was said at the prime minister’s website.
Despite the fact that Dodik was expected to give a somewhat longer speech after the visit in which he would characterize Orban as a person who supports the interests of Republika Srpska (RS), the only sentence from the meeting was the one in which Dodik said he was grateful to Hungary for understanding RS.
So, the question arises as to what was actually the goal and purpose of Viktor Orban’s meeting with Milorad Dodik?
What is indicative is the fact that the High Representative (HR) in BiH, Christian Schmidt, met with the Hungarian Prime Minister in Budapest three days before Orban’s visit to Banja Luka.
Taking into account the talks between Orban and Schmidt, the Hungarian Prime Minister, in addition to arriving on a working visit to Banja Luka, and as Dodik said, expressed understanding for RS, used the meeting in Banja Luka to convey the messagesof the HR.
Apart from being interpreted as an attempt to convey the message of the international community to Dodik through“dialogue with friends”, Orban‘s visit to Banja Luka can be one of the steps Viktor Orban is using as part of his pre-election campaign for the 2022 elections.
Viktor Orban can easily use this political position for another in a series of confrontations with the European Union (EU) and Brussels officials. By visiting Banja Luka, the Hungarian Prime Minister sends a clear message that he, as well as Hungary, represent a very relevant factor in the Balkans, whose opinion is appreciated by politicians who look favorably on Orban and his party Fidesz.
E.Dz.
Source: Klix.ba
