Yesterday in Podgorica, the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandic hosted the president of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) entity of the Republika Srpska (RS)Milorad Dodik, and there was no flag of BiH at the official meeting, which sent a direct message of disrespect for the state of BiH.
The flags of Montenegro and the RS entity in Andrija Mandic‘s cabinet are only a confirmation that currently part of the government of neighboring Montenegro rests on Greater Serbian ideas, and yesterday‘s controversial statements also support this.
Dodik first said that he submitted a proposal for an agreement on special relations between the RS and Montenegro to the President of the Parliament of Montenegro and the leader of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), Andrija Mandic, while the head of the Parliament of Montenegro said that he would open a dialogue with representatives of the government and the opposition on to that question.
At the joint press conference after the meeting in the Parliament of Montenegro, Dodik said that the RS has the right to special relations with its neighbors through the Dayton Agreement and that is why they want to establish an agreement with Montenegro.
“We believe that there is no reason for Montenegro not to accept it. The agreement was delivered to President Mandic. It is nothing against BiH, but this is an agreement in the areas of enforcement, infrastructure, sports, education, science and culture – everything that represents normal communication between communities, states and peoples,” said Dodik.
“It will bother some in Sarajevo, but it is legal and provided for by the Constitution of BiH and the Dayton Agreement. Montenegro was offered this before,” Dodik believes, adding that they also discussed “some other problems”.
Andrija Mandic said that the agreement on special relations was presented yesterday in accordance with the Dayton Agreement.
“And in 1995, when the war ended and the agreement was signed, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) existed. Serbia is the successor of the FRY, but Montenegro had equal obligations. This is late. The former government refused this,” said Mandic.
Mandic‘s statement that “the RS and the FBiH created BiH” is particularly controversial.
This is, of course, completely incorrect because the fact is that BiH continued the international legal subjectivity of the Republic of BiH.
Milorad Dodik said yesterday from Podgorica that “the project of the Serbian world is a phenomenal idea”.
“I invite all people of Serbian nationality, wherever they are, to devote themselves to the elements of our national identity. This identity is not directed against anyone – neither Montenegrins, nor Croats… We have the right to express our peculiarities, just like the French, Germans and all nations,” he said.
His colleague Mandic added that the parties SNSD and NSD are sister parties and that they have a great relationship.
This is not the first time that the President of the Parliament of Montenegro ignores the BiH flag during meetings with officials coming from BiH. Thus, a few days ago, he hosted the president of the National Assembly of RS (NARS), Nenad Stevandic, with the flags of Montenegro and the RS, Klix.ba writes.
