STEVANDIĆ: PRIORITY IS PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 18 /SRNA/ - The Speaker of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Nenad Stevandić, stated today in Banja Luka that peace, stability, and dialogue must be priorities in the Western Balkans region, which is also the goal of the Serbian people.

"This is the core message of the Serbia-Republika Srpska Parliamentary Forum. We are promoting a policy of peace and dialogue so that everyone in the region can reach agreements," Stevandić told reporters at the Forum. He emphasized that in some countries, with the aim of creating divisions among peoples, unprincipled military alliances are being formed and policies reminiscent of darker times are being promoted. "That is why it is necessary to preserve stability in the Western Balkans region. We want to promote a policy of peace, dialogue, cooperation, and resolving open issues through discussion, not through the formation of military alliances and interference in the internal affairs of states," Stevandić added. He reiterated that the tense situation in BiH has been exacerbated primarily by Christian Schmidt. "Schmidt imposes laws instead of the parliament, which has led to the abuse of the judiciary with the aim of removing certain individuals. Srpska has responded to this institutionally, with an offer of peace," Stevandić said. He stressed that processes must not be controlled by unelected foreigners, but that BiH must return to the Dayton Peace Agreement, which prescribes that peoples and entities elect their representatives and institutions—not individuals imposed from outside. "Serbs are not promoting a `Greater Serbia` policy, but rather principles of equality, which we also wish for other peoples. At the same time, we are not showing weakness or renouncing our right to defend ourselves, but we are promoting the interests of peace and dialogue," Stevandić concluded. The Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Ana Brnabić did not attend the session due to technical reasons.