The President of Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, reacted strongly to the arrival of Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, in Sarajevo, who came at the invitation of the non-governmental organization Circle 99. Five years ago, however, Dodik had no issue personally inviting the then-president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, while serving as the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Since two days ago, Dodik and his associates, including ministers and partners, have expressed outrage over Kurti’s trip to Sarajevo. Kurti arrived at the invitation of the Association of Independent Intellectuals Circle 99, where today he is expected to participate in an extended session at the City Hall.
However, it is worth reminding Dodik, as well as his associates such as Kosarac and Nesic, that in June 2019, while serving as the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, Dodik officially invited Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci to attend the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit held that year in BiH.
“I am delighted to invite you to a dinner for delegation leaders organized by the Presidency of BiH on July 8th,” Dodik wrote, among other things, in the invitation letter.
At the end of the letter, Dodik emphasized Thaci’s significant role on the international stage, stating that Thaci’s personal presence at the conference in Sarajevo would greatly contribute to addressing the challenges faced by the continent.
After the public became aware of the invitation, Dodik’s office attempted to justify the move by claiming that Thaci was not invited as the “President” of Kosovo but rather as “Pristina.”
“In that format, it is something determined and accepted by countries that have not recognized Kosovo, such as Serbia, Greece, Romania, Moldova, and BiH. He was invited as Pristina, and as Pristina, he can come, in fine print, if that is not a problem for him,” Dodik stated at the time.
Now, Dodik claims that Kurti’s visit will “significantly complicate matters in BiH.”
It is also worth pointing out that Albin Kurti was not invited by any cantonal, entity, or state institution but by the Association of Independent Intellectuals Circle 99, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
