DODIK: I INFORMED THE RUSSIAN SIDE THAT SRPSKA WILL HOLD A REFERENDUM

MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 9 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said that today in Moscow, he informed the Russian side that Republika Srpska will hold a referendum, and that someone must clean up the mess created by Christian Schmidt.

"I call on people to turn out for the referendum and declare that this is the will of the people. The people say that Christian Schmidt is illegitimate, that a court acting based on a foreigner’s decision cannot be trusted, and that parliament is the only body authorized to enact laws," Dodik said in an interview published by SRNA on its YouTube channel. He said that the Russian side was interested in the current situation and the next steps, and confirmed its commitment to international law. "We maintain that Dayton has failed, that it was undermined by those who were supposed to protect it. This is our primary position. We understood that the Russians believe it should be tried again, which entails a series of actions," Dodik added. He pointed out that someone must clean up the mess created by Schmidt, and that it remains to be seen how the guarantors of the Dayton Agreement will address this issue. "A legal façade was created, giving the Bosniaks the ability to try anyone; they even dared to try the President of Republika Srpska, which is a party to the Dayton Agreement. This is a cunning plan that has long been devised," Dodik stated. He emphasized that Russia has always been ready to listen to everything on a multilateral level, and that it stands on the side of international law and its observance. After meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Dodik stated that such meetings take place continuously, and that bilateral relations are at the highest level of understanding. Although the Serb side has been exposed to various criminal activities by Schmidt and Bosniaks in BiH, Dodik emphasized that they have managed to maintain a high level of trust and support. "Russia has always operated from a position of understanding within the UN system, always expressing its stance without hesitation. Today, it is clear that it has regained its status as a global power. It is very important for us that we have had the opportunity to hold discussions with one of the world’s leading powers at such a high level," Dodik emphasized.