The two-day visit of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, to Republika Srpska, in addition to marking the anniversary of the Storm, was planned through meetings of the Council of the two governments, but also a special meeting between the President of Republika Srpska and the President of Serbia with a member of the Presidency from the Serbian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is not known what the topics of the meetings will be, but it is certain that joint projects will be discussed. In addition to the announced signing of the Agreement on the construction of two memorial centers dedicated to the Jasenovic victims of Gradina Belgrade, the session of the Council of Republika Srpska and Serbia will surely discuss more joint projects and issues, primarily in the field of energy.
“We have with Elektoprivreda Srbija and Republika Srpska a project to build Buk Bijela, and that will be an important issue that needs to be talked about because construction activities are underway, but we also need to overcome the obstacles that always arise when we start some activities with Serbia. There are other topics, I will prepare for that session separately”, said Petar Đokić, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Republika Srpska.
Analysts: Vučić will not choose sides
However, some media outlets write more about the political background of Vučić’s visit and intergovernmental meetings, and some state that the president of Republika Srpska is trying to get a common position on Christian Schmidt from Vučić. However, analysts believe that Vučić will not publicly align himself with any side.
“I don’t believe that such an open classification will come. I believe that he will rather take on the role of a mediator who can bring both sides to the negotiating table and that the politicians mutually respect each other’s views”, said Velizar Antić, a political analyst.
The meetings and activities of the Republika Srpska and Serbia are part of the opportunities offered by the Dayton Agreement through the previously concluded Agreement on Special and Parallel Relations and are not questionable from that point of view, but, some analysts point out, it is symptomatic of the moment in which they are taking place.
“Of course, in this geopolitical moment, meetings like this cause different reactions in view of the extension of sanctions to the leadership of the Republika Srpska as well as the member of the Presidency from among the Serbian people, and this is used as a cushion for other tension points in the southeast of Europe, first of all I mean the strained relations between Serbia with Kosovo”, believes Danijel Vidović, a political analyst.
It should be recalled that Dodik recently visited Croatian President Zoran Milanović, and even then there was speculation as to the real reason for the meeting. The official answer then was: support for the legitimate representation of all three peoples in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and accelerated European integration.
photo: Tanjug
