SRNA News Roundup /I/ December 14, 2023

REPUBLIKA SRPSKA BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik has stated today that the Serbian people were the greatest sufferers in the past century in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and that visual archiving of this suffering for generations to come is extremely important. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of the Republic Organization of Families of Captured, Killed Soldiers and Missing Civilians Isidora Graorac has stressed today in Banja Luka that Serbian suffering must not be forgotten and that more than 50,000 Serbs were killed in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - In the Administrative Center of the Government of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka, part of the shocking testimonies of the mothers, children, wives and relatives of brutally murdered Serbs in the territory of the former Yugoslavia was shown today, as part of the presentation of the "Visual Archive of Serbian Suffering" Foundation project. MOSCOW, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of Russia Vladimir Putin has stated today that the assessment of the situation in Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina fully coincides between the political leaderships of Srpska and Russia and pointed out that he believes that future should be determined by the people who live there. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - SNSD MP in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Igor Žunić has said today at the parliament session that taxes must be paid, and that no one should be privileged in that respect. The Minister of Finance of Republika Srpska, Zora Vidović, stated that the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Write-off of Receivables establishes legal prerequisites for more efficient collection of tax liabilities, which would facilitate the financial position of companies and improve their liquidity, bearing in mind the current crisis on the global market. Vidović said that the reasons for the adoption of the proposed law on amendments to the Law on Contributions, which the deputies considered under an urgent procedure, are contained in the need to reduce the burden on educational institutions based on the obligation to pay contributions for pension and disability insurance for students during practical classes, that is, during carrying out professional practice at the employer. The session of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska continued today with consideration of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Contributions under urgent procedure. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - Members of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska discussed tonight, under urgent procedure, the Proposal of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Income Tax, which provides for the introduction into the tax system of a special self-employed tax payer - a small farmer, as well as tax exemption on the income of compensation for students on practical classes held at the employer. The Minister of Finance of Republika Srpska, Zora Vidović, said tonight that the objective of Srpska's debt of EUR 36,920,000 with the World Bank - the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is to provide support to the budget for settling the obligations of public health institutions, with the aim of introducing them into the treasury system without overdue taxes obligation from the previous period. Vidović said that the proposal of the decision on the amount of guarantees that can be issued by Republika Srpska in 2024 approves the issuance of guarantees for debts up to the amount of BAM 500,000,000. The Minister of Finance said that according to the Law on Borrowing, Debt and Guarantees of Republika Srpska, the short-term debt of the Republic cannot be higher than eight percent of the amount of regular income generated in the previous fiscal year. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Committee for Constitutional Affairs of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska today determined five responses to the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska, in which it is stated that there are no violations of the Constitution of the Republic and that all the provisions of the contested laws are in accordance with the Constitution, it was announced from of the Parliament of Srpska. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković said that he absolutely agrees with the minimum wage being increased, because employers cannot keep workers with a minimum wage of BAM 700. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Radovan Višković, said that the opposition's criticisms of the Budget Proposal for 2024 are populist stories that are trying to score points with the public. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Radovan Višković said that tomorrow's session of the Government of Srpska will include a memorandum signed with Chinese partners and information on the construction of the expressway from Bijeljina to Sokolac. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - At today's session, the Government of Republika Srpska accepted grant funds from the program of the European Common Fund for the Balkans for the construction project of the "5 C" Corridor, which approves up to EUR 30,800,000 to Srpska. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - Today, the Government of Republika Srpska accepted the information about the completion of the project "Socialization of children of Republika Srpska in 2023", for which BAM 1,235,154 were spent. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Government of Republika Srpska today gave consent to the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency of Srpska to financially support/co-finance a number of projects with KM 905,000. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - Today, the Government of the Republic of Srpska gave the consent to the Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government to co-finance projects/programs of humanitarian organizations BAM with 200,000. BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The massacre of Serb civilians in the Bratunac villages of Bjelovac, Sikirić and Loznička Rijeka on this day in 1992 was a prelude to the horrific massacre in Kravica on Christmas Day 1993, but the world, despite all the evidence, remained silent on the Serb victims, and Naser Orić, who led the bloody party, walks freely in Podrinje, the director of the Institute for the Research of Serb Suffering in the 20th Century, Milivoje Ivanišević, told SRNA. DOBOJ, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - SNSD Presidency member Sanja Vulić said that before she says anything, Svetlana Cenić should explain on what basis she presents herself as an expert, how she proves this claim, what her references are and what has she done in her life, except that due to unfortunate circumstances for SDS she was their episodic finance minister with desperate results. BIJELJINA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska Pension and Disability Insurance Fund /PIO/ has announced that women and men who have reached the age of 65 and have at least 15 years of insurance experience will be entitled to an old-age pension next year. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - Ten percent of high school students in Republika Srpska out of 5,700 respondents stated that they were victims of peer violence in the first semester, and 20 percent stated that they were victims during school, the ombudsman for children of Republika Srpska Gordana Rajić has stated today. DOBOJ, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Assembly of the city of Doboj adopted the budget for the next year in the amount of BAM 64,863,800, which is about BAM 8.7 million higher than planned for the current year. BIJELJINA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - In Bijeljina, contracts were signed today with 42 beneficiaries who, on the basis of two public calls from the city's Development Agency, received incentives for the establishment of entrepreneurial activities, with a total value of BAM 220,200. PRIJEDOR, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Mayor of Prijedor, Slobodan Javor, spoke today with the delegation of the Chinese company "China Energy International Group", which will build wastewater treatment plants in 10 cities in Republika Srpska, among which Prijedor was the first chosen to implement this project. EAST SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The City Administration of East Sarajevo today paid BAM 50,000 to support the renovation of the Karađorđević residence in Han Pijesk, as agreed last year during the visit of Prince Filip Karađorđević and his wife Princess Danica, the City Administration announced. NOVI GRAD, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - In Novi Grad, a humanitarian action was launched to collect money for the continuation of the treatment of Sanja Velimir from Banja Luka - the mother of two minor children who was diagnosed with visible metastases and brain changes last month. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - Miloš Meljanac's monograph "Five Hearths of Dalmatian Colonists" was presented in Banja Luka tonight as part of the "Days of the Serb Krajina in Republika Srpska" event, organized by the Banja Luka Assembly of Regional Associations. BiH BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that negotiations on BiH's accession to the EU can begin when a certain degree of necessary criteria is met. SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - BiH Presidency members Željka Cvijanović and Denis Bećirović welcomed Slovak President Zuzana Čaputova in Sarajevo today, stressing that there are no open issues between BiH and Slovakia, that bilateral relations are good and friendly, which is the basis for further strengthening of cooperation, in accordance with mutually expressed interests on the bilateral and international level. EAST SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - On this day in 1995, the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, the Dayton Peace Accords, was signed in Paris, in which it was formulated that Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two constituent entities - Republika Srpska and the Federation BiH and three nations: Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats. SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina assessed that 28 years after the signing of the Dayton Accords, the principles of this agreement were rejected and violated, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the efforts of Brussels, Washington and London created a system of colonial administration headed, by the decision of the same metropolis, a "puppet that makes itself the ruler of destiny" was installed. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Security in the Council of Ministers, Nenad Nešić, said that the process before the Court of BiH against the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, is a red line and that Srpska is being defended there, not Dodik, because it is about the attack on the institution, not the individual. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The shameful trial against /President of Republika Srpska Milorad/ Dodik and Acting Director of "Official Gazette" Miloš Lukić is definitely the most blatant example of political persecution in the modern world, SNSD spokesman Radovan Kovačević stressed. EAST SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Ministers of Defense in the Council of Ministers Zukan Helez and Slovakia's Robert Kalinak stated today in Sarajevo that Bosnia and Herzegovina has a wide range of products from the field of arms industry in which, as they stated, Europe has failed. SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - During this year, police officers of the Investigation and Protection Agency (Sipa) discovered and temporarily seized 269 kilograms of cocaine, the estimated market value of which is more than EUR 30 million, Sipa announced today. SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered a one-month detention for Mladen Samardžija, who is accused of being at the top of an organized criminal group that was involved in the smuggling of large quantities of heavy drugs from the territory of South America and the EU to the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighboring countries. SERBIA BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić has said today that, if the message from Brussels at the end of the election campaign in Serbia was that Belgrade would have to recognize the self-proclaimed Kosovo, his answer is that this will not happen. BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić put a reserve in Brussels on the EU Declaration and said that Kosovo and Metohija remains an integral part of Serbia, in accordance with UN Resolution 1244. BANJALUKA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Nenad Stevandić, pointed out today that it is easy to choose who to support in the upcoming elections in Serbia - the current president, Aleksandar Vučić. BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The President of the Provisional Authority, Aleksandar Šapić, announced that there will be no organized New Year's fireworks in Belgrade this year, adding that the money intended for the fireworks will be paid to animal protection societies. BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Appellate Panel of the Special Court for KLA Terrorist Crimes in the Hague sentenced former KLA commander Saljih Mustafa to 22 years in prison for war crimes committed in the Podujevo area, reducing the first-instance court's sentence by four years. REGION BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - EU leaders confirmed their full and unequivocal commitment to the perspective of Western Balkan membership in the Union and called for the acceleration of the accession process, according to the declaration published after the EU- Western Balkans Summit. BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that there is a potential for the economy of the Balkan region to double in a period of 10 years. BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the European Commission has a plan for the economic growth of the Balkans and that this is the second key point of today's summit with the leaders of the countries of the region. BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that the concept of gradual integration was discussed at the summit with the leaders of the Balkan countries. BELGRADE, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - About 6,000 people joined the Movement of Serbs of the Krajišniks in two months, and offices will be opened in Belgrade, Sremska Mitrovica and Pančevo, president Mile Bosnić told SRNA. PODGORICA, DECEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - The Census Commission of Podgorica found that 16 enumerators were found to have committed illegal acts and the use of the so-called "write-erase" pen, and it was unanimously decided to exclude them and one instructor from the census campaign, the Administration for statistics - Monstat confirmed.