FUTURE OF BiH DEPENDS ON PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN IT, NOT ON FOREIGNERS

BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 21 /SRNA/ – Serbia's Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dačić told SRNA that the future of BiH depends solely on the people who live in it, not on foreigners who attempt to change the Dayton Peace Agreement on their own accords.

Dačić emphasized that Serbia will always defend peace, dialogue, and respect for the Dayton Agreement, which he described as the foundation of security, political stability, and the preservation of peace in the region. On the other hand, Dačić stressed, every pressure exerted on Serbs in BiH is simultaneously pressure on Serbia. "The policies of Belgrade and Banja Luka must be aligned, with wise and carefully considered actions carried out in full coordination between the leadership of Serbia and Republika Srpska. Serbia will not pose a threat to BiH, but it will also not allow the destruction of Republika Srpska," Dačić underlined. He noted that Dayton is not a children's picture book that anyone can doodle on as they please. "It is not just a legal document, but a living political agreement, a system of balance that ensures stability in a complex region," Dačić told SRNA on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Agreement. He recalled that the agreement stopped the war, saved lives, and established the equality of the three constituent peoples in BiH, but that today, three decades later, its original principles are being undermined. Dačić pointed out that the high representative, not envisaged in the agreement as an authority above the state institutions, has assumed the right to impose laws, amend the constitution, and dismiss democratically elected representatives. He stressed that, besides Serbia, Republika Srpska is the only party consistently insisting on respect for Dayton and the principle of equality. Dačić stated that despite all pressures on Serbia, it remains a guarantor of Dayton's original text and spirit. "This means that all issues in BiH must be resolved through dialogue among all three peoples and both entities, without imposition. Serbia will respect whatever the peoples in BiH agree upon, because our greatest interest is regional stability," Dačić highlighted. He added that the importance of Serbia as a guarantor of peace in BiH must not be forgotten, nor the role of Slobodan Milošević, the former president of Serbia. "Even American sources, including the testimony of Richard Holbrooke, confirm that without his involvement Dayton would not have been possible. Under enormous pressure, he chose peace, knowing it was the only way to stop the suffering of all peoples in BiH," Dačić recalled.