ČOVIĆ: I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL PRESERVE OUR VALUES TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS IN SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, DECEMBER 11 /SRNA/ - Deputy Chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Dragan Čović, stated on Thursday evening in Banja Luka that he is confident that Croats, despite being few in number, will preserve their values together with their friends in Republika Srpska and Banja Luka.

Speaking at the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone for the Cultural and Pastoral Student Center, Čović greeted all attendees on behalf of SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and emphasized the importance of building a network for joint action. He emphasized that BiH needs to achieve internal stability, and that the Croatian people in BiH would not have been able to preserve their constitutional status over the past ten years if it were not for Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Čović stated that this center in Banja Luka is necessary and described it as a sacred place. The foundation stone was laid on Thursday evening for the construction of the Petrićevac Cultural and Pastoral Student Center at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Banja Luka, in the presence of officials from Republika Srpska, BiH, and Croatia. The Croatian Government has allocated €950,000 for the construction of the center. The ceremony was attended by the Acting President of Republika Srpska, Ana Trišić Babić, Prime Minister Savo Minić, and the Vice President of Srpska, Davor Pranjić.