22.11.2022.
Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović attend reception to celebrate inauguration of new President of Republika Srpska
Tonight, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović, attended a formal reception held in Banja Luka to celebrate the inauguration of the newly elected President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
Greeting the guests, President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik said that he expected challenging times, but that his priority was to preserve peace. - This third term will be very challenging. It is never boring here, and I know that turning points are in store. I am indebted to my people, they have elected me as the president, but I know them and I listen to them. We have the capability to live freely on our own territory. We’ve had to take care exclusively of ourselves here, all these years, during the course of all these terms. I have learned from our foreign partners that we should take care of ourselves and we will do so without hesitation, without offending anyone or calling anyone into question. Republika Srpska must use all its good relations with everyone, and I call on you to cooperate, I call for peace and tolerance. I will be available to everyone, open to all new ideas, just leave Republika Srpska be - said Dodik.
He expressed his intention to develop relations with the region, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, but also his desire to cooperate with the European Union.- We want to join the European Union, there is no question about it. But Republika Srpska will not join NATO. We will also cooperate with great powers such as Russia and China, but also with the United States and EU countries. However, we will take care mainly of ourselves - said Dodik, noting that peace must be a priority.
Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, said that it was always her pleasure to visit Republika Srpska and that she always looked forward to cooperating with that country.- I am really pleased at the opportunity to continue our cooperation. This year, our citizens, our people gave us a new term and additional time to continue building a special relationship between Serbia and Republika Srpska. The upcoming period will definitely be challenging, but we are well accustomed to challenges. Over the next period, we will continue all the projects we have started, we will further strengthen our unity, acting in the interest of the Serbian people - said Prime Minister Brnabić, adding that our goal was creating a more peaceful and stable Balkans for future generations.
At the reception celebrating the inauguration of Milorad Dodik as President of Republika Srpska, His Holiness, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, said that peace was the most important value.
- It is not easy to hold any position, especially in these turbulent and complex times, on the global, regional and local levels. Peace is Republika Srpska’s most important value. It largely depends on us. We must achieve unity in our backyard first, and then continue to do so in a friendly environment and in the surrounding area. It is your joint task to bring about unity and build peace, and others will respect you for it - said Patriarch Porfirije.Milorad Dodik took over from Željka Cvijanović as President of Republika Srpska on November 15.
