President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik (SNSD) commented on yesterday’s meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konakovic (NiP) in Banja Luka.
He assures that the basic principle of the new state government, which includes SNSD and NiP, will be ”regular consultation”and to try to reach a consensus. He also referred to the political differences between the ruling parties at the state level.
”Of course, there will be issues that make a difference at the political level. We agreed that there is no need to emphasize this as the main line of the relationship, but that the main line should be cooperation. If we have different views on international issues, this should not affect the quality of decision-making in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH),” Dodik pointed out.
Moreover, he announced that a team of lawyers will be formed to consider the issue of state property. He said that representatives of all constituent peoples must be represented in embassies and claimed that this was not the case when Bisera Turkovic (SDA) was the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
”The experience we have had is that this position (Minister of Foreign Affairs) was used for personal, family, and party positions and this is not BiH. The previous lady devalued everything and made family and party embassies. I think we have a good understanding and that is the true essence of BiH – that everyone be represented,” he emphasized.
Dodik pointed out that the RS is opposed to BiH imposing sanctions on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine as one of the issues on which there is no agreement in the ruling coalition. He reiterated that he will insist on reducing what he called international interventionism in operational decision-making.
”What we will insist on is to reduce international interventionism in operational decision-making and to exclude its influence in courts and prosecutor’s offices. International interventionism in the previous 27 years did not produce results. International interventionists did not have solutions that would satisfy everyone,” he said.
Furthermore, he reiterated that the RS will not recognize Christian Schmidt as a High Representative and emphasized that efforts will be made to reach a ”common policy at the level of the international community”.
Dodik admits that international actors are responsible for, as he stated, the stabilization, social stability, and development of BiH, but that they now play a destabilizing role. He said that one should not ”suck up to foreigners”.
When asked whether the Minister of Finance of BiH, Zoran Tegeltija (SNSD), will be the director of the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA), he replied that no decision has been made yet, but that Tegeltija is ”one of the most serious and professional”people in this field. He indicated that he would discuss this issue with Tegeltija.
He announced that the SNSD will also vote in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of BiH against the abolition of excise taxes on fuel, as it was against two days ago in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of BiH. As the reason for this, he cited the belief that this would not contribute to the drop in fuel prices and that budget revenues would not be lost.
