MINIĆ: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA DOES NOT TRANSFER ITS HOLIDAYS TO FBiH

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 25 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska does not transfer any of its holidays to the Federation of BiH /FBiH/, and those intending to celebrate November 25 on the territory of Srpska are merely provoking, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić has stated.

"When we celebrated January 9 /Republic Day/ in Istočno Sarajevo, we faced such media attacks that we are near Sarajevo that it was on the border… Imagine now if someone came to Banja Luka to celebrate November 25 – that would be a pure provocation," Minić said, urging citizens of Srpska to exercise restraint and not fall for provocations. Commenting on reports that FBiH Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić might visit Banja Luka today, Minić told reporters that it would be proper to at least notify the Republika Srpska authorities beforehand, given that Republika Srpska has repeatedly called for cooperation with the other entity. "Republika Srpska and FBiH are BiH. Is it acceptable not to inform me, as a colleague, or anyone from the Republika Srpska government, and just come to Banja Luka? Let the public interpret that," Minić said. The former ZAVNOBiH Day, November 25, is marked as the so-called Statehood Day in the part of FBiH predominantly inhabited by Bosniaks, while Croats do not recognize it as a holiday. At the BiH level, there is no law regulating holidays, so entity-level holiday laws in Republika Srpska and FBiH remain in effect. Republika Srpska celebrates January 9 as Republic Day and November 21 as the Day of the Establishment of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH.