Turning to the East, economic interests and attempts to convince the Chinese to buy the bonds of Republika Srpska (RS).
Because of this, the SNSD, the largest political party in the RS, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), is getting even closer to the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to analysts.
Representatives of the SNSD, the party headed by Milorad Dodik, who is also the president of the RS, and the CPC met in Istocno Sarajevo on April 24th.
The SNSD delegation was led by Stasa Kosarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, as a member of the Party Presidency, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Qian Hongshan, Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC.
As reported by SNSD after the meeting, their delegation expressed gratitude to China for “respecting international law” regarding the High Representative, and it was said that SNSD respects the principle of “one China” and non-interference in their internal affairs.
What was discussed at the meeting?
Kosarac conveyed to the Chinese, as stated in the announcement, Dodik’s greetings and desire “to continue cooperation and strengthen friendly ties with the People’s Republic of China.”
There were talks about projects in the field of transport and energy, in which the Chinese are present in BiH, mostly in the RS, and the two parties agreed to continue consultations on an annual basis.
CPC and parties in BiH
Apart from the SNSD, other parties in BiH have ties with the Chinese communists.
The SDA, the strongest party in the BiH Parliament, has been cooperating with the CPC for about 20 years, as Halid Genjac, the party’s general secretary, said earlier.
At the online summit held in July 2021 on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the CPC, more than 500 political organizations from all over the world, including those from BiH, were present, Radio Slobodna Evropa reports.